There’s an amazing falafel restaurant here in Hoboken called Mamouns. It originated in NYC and lucky for me, opened a location close to my home so I didn’t have to keep traveling into the city to get my falafel fix. That’s how good the falafel at Mamouns is.
When I started out on this Whole30 journey, I was worried about how I would get my fix of certain foods, like falafel, that I eat all the time. But, when I realized cauliflower has a similar texture to chickpeas, I knew I’d be able to get what I wanted and stay on track.
This is my version of Whole30 friendly falafel. Mamouns, I wish you’d make these with your amazing hummus (hint hint)!
Whole30/Paleo Baked Falafel Bowl with Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
Falafel
- 2 cups minced cauliflower
- 1 cup minced fresh onion
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 medium egg
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or date paste for whole30)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Greens
- 4-8 cups greens of your choice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make falafel, blend all falafel ingredients, except the minced cauliflower and olive oil, in a food processor. Blend until the herbs are minced. Once the herbs are minced, add in the minced cauliflower and pulse until combined.
- Form the falafel dough into 20-24 round balls. Use a pastry brush to brush each falafel with olive oil.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Then, rotate the falafels and cook for another 20 minutes.
- To make the tahini dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- To serve, first plate the greens. Then, top with falafel and tahini dressing. Enjoy!
Adapted from: paleoglutenfree.com
Season Generously 