A falafel platter that you can totally get behind. Mediterranean cuisine is one of my favourites, in a previous post I shared a fusion dish using West African puna yam chips and hummus. There is just a special way that both cooked and fresh foods are brought together to build a wonderful feast when it comes to Mediterranean cooking. I have always appreciated a good falafel, after all, they are so versatile. You can add them to your salads, Buddha bowls, rice dishes, sandwiches, or eat them just like that. There are so many ways to enjoy them and as they are made with chickpeas, they are packed with protein. This Mediterranean falafel platter is a joy to eat! The falafels are paired with hummus, tabbouleh, golden turmeric rice and tahini dressing, along with a side of flat bread.
A Mediterranean falafel platter you can get behind
This Mediterranean falafel platter recipe is pretty easy to prepare. Do note however, that you will need to soak your raw chickpeas overnight, or at least for 8 hours prior to cooking. Do not use canned chickpeas for making falafels. It just doesn’t work. Soaking your chickpeas is important to soften them prior to preparing the falafel mix.
They are fried, but can be baked too
Falafels are best fried, in my very humble opinion! They can be baked also, but they tend to become quite dry when baked. You can also air fry them, this works well, however it takes a lot more time to cook them. Frying is quick, as they only need to be fried a few minutes each. The result you are looking for is crispy on the outside and soft and crumbly on the inside.
Make a batch and store them for later
Falafels are best served immediately after cooking when they are hot and crispy. If you are not ready to eat them, store the rolled uncooked falafels in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container or for longer in the freezer. If frozen, remove them and thaw in the fridge before frying.
Same ingredients, different recipes
This Mediterranean falafel platter is made up of five different recipes; falafels, hummus, tabbouleh, turmeric rice and tahini dressing. The good thing is that the ingredients are quite similar and quite simple. Other than cooking the rice and falafels the rest is as easy as chopping and pulsing in a food processor. You could just make the falafels alone, or you could make the entire dish. Why not? It will be so worth the effort.
If you do make this dish definitely share and tag @plantfoodfederation and #pffplate on social media.
As with all other recipes on this blog you will find that this falafel platter recipe is;
- Plant based
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Soy free
- Egg-free
- Easy to make
- Uses simple and some exotic ingredients