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Black Bean and Brown Rice Falafel with Tahini Sauce

These crispy nuggets of deliciousness are good alone or inside a whole grain wrap with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, parsley and lettuce. They can also be made in the oven or air fryer.

CategoryBeans, Blue Zone Recipes, Mediterranean, Plant-Based Recipes, rice

Total Time35 Min

DifficultyEasy

Yields6 Servings

Black Bean and Brown Rice Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Recipe Ingredients

First of all, check if you have all the necessary ingredients for this recipe. Pay attention to the quantities!
  • 2 cups no or low sodium cooked black beans (canned or homemade)
  • ½ cup cooked brown rice
  • ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • â…› tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp low sodium tamari or liquid aminos
  • 1 tbsp whole wheat flour, or more, as needed
  • 4 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Recipe Instructions

Next, follow the steps to finalize your dish and finally be able to enjoy it!

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Rinse and drain the black beans, if using canned. Drain, if using homemade. Place the beans on a couple layers of paper towel and gently pat dry.

  3. In a large skillet, on medium high, water saute the chopped onion until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute or two. Cool. In a food processor, add the black beans, cooked rice, cooked onions and garlic, parsley, lemon juice, spices and tamari. Pulse several times, until combined but still a little chunky. Add up to on tablespoon of flour to thicken the bean mixture enough to form patties. Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, measure out 12 portions on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. For the portions into oval shaped patties. Bake at 375 degrees, 10 minutes per side.

  4. Air Fryer instructions: Set air fryer to 370 degrees. Place patties on the air fryer rack or basket and cook for a total of 12 minutes, turning at 6 minutes.

  5. Tahini Sauce Combine tahini and lemon juice. Thin with water. Drizzle over falafel. Serve with chopped cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, parsley and whole grain bread or wraps.

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