Tofu Falafel – Seriously, it Tastes Just Like Falafel

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler - Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Aug 3, 2019 at 2:45am PDT

This week, I was hit by a serious lack of inspiration.

Suddenly, all my recipe ideas flew out the window, and I was left with a head hollow of ideas (some might say hollow of sense too).

I decided to turn to you, my blog followers, and ask in my Stories: Do you have any ideas for recipes you'd like me to make and film?

From the moment I posted the question, it felt like the starting gun of the New York Marathon.

I received dozens upon dozens of responses—wonderful suggestions and dish ideas. (Thank you to everyone who sent something—you are amazing!)

Then a wonderful woman named Maayan Lapidot, who is both a nutritionist and a fitness trainer (my favorite combination), sent me a photo of a falafel dish she made.

My first thought was: Okay, nice, lentil falafel, big deal.

But then she told me it was made from tofu.

At that moment, I realized she had hit on something truly brilliant.

The reason I got so excited is that tofu is such a convenient ingredient to work with; it has a neutral flavor and wonderful nutritional values.

The combination with cilantro and cumin creates a ball that tastes exactly like authentic falafel.

Note – the texture is quite different:

While traditional falafel has a slightly grainy texture, tofu falafel is smooth.

Is that good or not? That’s up to you to decide—I absolutely loved it, despite the August heat outside.

A bit about Tofu Falafel

As mentioned, the characteristic falafel flavor comes from the combination of cumin, garlic, onion, and cilantro.

If you don't like one of these spices, feel free to swap or remove it. It will taste different from traditional falafel, but it will definitely be delicious.

To bind the mixture into balls that won't fall apart during baking, I used one cup of breadcrumbs.

If you want a gluten-free version, try tracking down gluten-free breadcrumbs or replace them with finely ground oat flour.

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness trainer Noam Bechar:

A serving of 3 tofu falafel balls weighing 100g contains:

204 kcal

9g protein

15g carbohydrates

12g fat

Adding half a whole-wheat pita provides:

139 kcal

4g protein

24g carbohydrates

1/2g fat

Adding half a tablespoon of tahini diluted with a bit of water (15g):

50 kcal

2g protein

1g carbohydrates

4.5g fat

Want Tofu and Basil patties? Check them out here

Print

Tofu Falafel

Same great taste - 5 minutes of work

Keyword Falafel, Tofu, Cilantro, Cumin

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Yield 20 balls

Ingredients

• 300 g tofu
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 heaping tsp cumin
• pinch salt
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 90g
• 1/4 cup olive oil 60 ml
• juice from half a lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. In a blender, thoroughly process the tofu, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, and salt until you get a smooth, lump-free texture.

   

3. If your blender is struggling, add a small splash of water to help it along.

4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, olive oil, and lemon juice, and mix well until completely uniform.

   

5. Note (this is important): If you added water during blending, or if the tofu you bought is soft, you may need more or fewer breadcrumbs. My advice: add them a little at a time until you reach a stable, firm texture.

6. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 20 even-sized balls.

   

7. Place each ball on a baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil over each one.

8. Bake the falafel balls for about 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.

9. Stuff your falafel balls into a whole-wheat pita, add tahini and hot sauce, and enjoy!