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Curried baked falafel have layered flavors of cumin, coriander, garlic, and Sriracha. Serve them in a rice bowl with roasted broccoli & brown rice for a full & satisfying meal. Or form them in the shape of gingerbread men for a surprising holiday appetizer or main course. Vegan & gluten-free.
Once again, we’re keeping our Christmas decorations minimal this year. No tree, no strings of lights. Just a wreath, a festive centerpiece, and a Merry Christmas sign on the door.
While Avon, our orange tabby cat, has now reached the ripe old age of 1 ½, he still has plenty of kitten in him.
“What? I prefer to be held like a baby. No big deal.”
Since I’m still trying to guide him to use his scratching posts instead of furniture and not to eat things he shouldn’t, I’m not eager to add ornaments, branches, and wires to the mix.
Maybe next year? We’ll see.
In the meantime, I’m doing some decorating of the edible variety.
Curried baked falafel
I first made curried falafel back in 2013 for Kristy’s cookie swap.
Desserts aren’t my forte. So I played with the idea of cookies and milk for Santa, and made an appetizer of gingerbread men-shaped baked falafel instead.
With curry powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and Sriracha, they have layered flavors and a spicy kick. They are then “iced” with a creamy curry peanut sauce.
The sauce has a light, whippy base of silken tofu and can also be served on the side for dipping. (A peanut butter-based sauce like this or this would also work for dipping.)
My favorite curry powder for this dish is Penzeys sweet curry powder. But if you have a favorite, by all means, use that one instead.
Falafel bowls
This year, I decided to make the curried baked falafel a meal with roasted broccoli and brown rice. I made round falafel balls and then decorated them like holiday ornaments. (This bowl would be great for vegan Christmas dinner!)
The warming spices of the curried falafel and lightly sweetened sauce hit the spot on a frigid December day.
This festive meal is easy to make and can be ready in about a half an hour. It also transports well for lunch.
Plus, the best part about celebrating with food is that you get to eat the decorations.
Hmm. Maybe Avon and I have something in common after all.
Curried baked falafel bowl with roasted broccoli
Ingredients
For curried falafel
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons yellow onion chopped small
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger zested with a microplane zester or minced
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For bowls
- 4 cups broccoli florets and/or stem cut into even sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
For Creamy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 12.3 ounces extra firm silken tofu
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk plain & unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
Instructions
To make the falafel
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas and garlic for a few seconds. Add the onion, cilantro, ginger, extra virgin olive oil, and Sriracha and pulse a few seconds more, scraping down the sides to get everything. The mixture should be fully combined and broken up, but not smooth like a hummus.
- Add the above mixture into a large mixing bowl along with 3 Tablespoons of chickpea flour, curry powder, cumin, coriander, baking powder, and salt. Fully combine with a spoon until it is combined enough to use your hands. The mixture should be soft but firm enough that it can be rolled into balls or packed into a gingerbread man cookie cutter. If it seems too wet, add a tablespoon more of chickpea flour.
- If making gingerbread men, use a small gingerbread man cookie cutter and set it on top of the parchment covered baking sheet. Press the mixture into cookie cutter until it's in every crevice and even with the top of the cutter. Then slowly press the falafel man out of the cookie cutter. Repeat until all of the men have been made.
- If making traditional falafel-shaped balls, simply form the mixture into round, walnut-sized balls and line evenly across the baking sheet.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Remove them from the oven and carefully flip them with a spatula. Return them to the oven to bake for 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove them from the oven. If making the men-shaped falafel, allow them to cool for a few minutes before decorating and serving. (They hold their shape better and are less likely to crumble when cool.)
To make bowls
- While the falafel is baking, put broccoli on the second parchment paper covered baking sheet. Toss broccoli with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Line the broccoli evenly across the baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd. (It will steam instead of roast if it's touching and overcrowded.)
- Put the broccoli into the 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stopping once halfway through to flip. (Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the broccoli pieces.)
- Put 1/2 cup of brown rice in four bowls and top with falafel and a spoonful of roasted broccoli. Serve with creamy peanut dipping sauce.
To make Creamy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Serve in a separate bowl for dipping or move a portion of sauce into a squeeze bottle to outline the falafel and drizzle on bowl.
Dianne says
Cats and Christmas decorates are a strange mix. One of my three doesn’t care at all about the tree, while the other two totally terrorize it. They’re 6 and they still go nuts, so I’m not sure if age has much to do with it, unfortunately.
P.S. I love the falafel men!
Cadry says
Aw, that doesn’t bode well for me then! Spike used to love batting at the ornaments on the bottom tier of the tree, and so I’d put soft ornaments there just for him. Jezebel likes sitting under it. But I think Avon would consider it part lunch/part jungle gym.
EC says
Those falafel-men are so cute! They totally fooled me at first 🙂
Cadry says
Thank you! I imagine if a person took a bite expecting dessert, they’d be in for a big surprise. 😀
Caitlin says
this looks incredibly, cadry!
Cadry says
Thanks, Caitlin! <3
Eva @ Four Leaf Clover says
Avon is such a cutie 🙂 The falafel-men are so creative! This bowl looks delicious. I’ve been seeing sriracha everywhere, but I have to admit I’m too afraid to buy a huge bottle if I don’t like it. Is there anything you could compare the taste to? And is it super spicy? 😛 Sorry for all the questions lately!!
Cadry says
Don’t be silly! Blog comments and questions are the best!
Sriracha is pretty spicy, but it’s not over-the-top hot like habenero-based hot sauce. They have it at a lot of Thai restaurants. You should go out for lunch or dinner sometime and put a little on your food before buying a bottle for yourself. Or if you want to risk it, Sriracha and all hot sauce lasts a loooong time in the fridge. Even if you just had it for guests and used it in recipes, it would take forever to go bad.
If you have a hot sauce you already like, feel free to use it in this recipe instead. 😀
Eva @ Four Leaf Clover says
That’s very true… blog comments always make my day! I JUST went to a Thai restaurant the other day – I should have asked to try some! Although, she was very adamant that I wouldn’t want to go above the “medium” spice level (and she was right!) so maybe I wouldn’t be able to handle it, haha! I’ll ask next time, thanks for the suggestion!
Gingi says
Those look YUMMY and that cat is adorable!!! <3
Cadry says
Thanks, Gingi! I am awfully fond of him too. 😀
Susan says
I love the idea of the falafel men instead of gingerbread men, very clever!
Avon is such a cutie in that photo, I love the look on his face! Definitely better to be on the cautious side and avoid potential very expensive trips to the vet to surgically remove Christmas decorations from his guts!
Cadry says
Absolutely! He’s much better than he used to be about not eating things that he shouldn’t, but he still knows how to sniff out trouble. An ornament-filled tree with strings of lights would be way too much temptation for him.
Becky Striepe says
Cutest falafel EVER!
Cadry says
Thanks, Becky! 😀
Shell says
This meal combines 2 of my favorites – chickpeas and broccoli. The cute Avon pictures are an added bonus!
Cadry says
Thanks, Shell! 😀
Jenn says
These falafel sound so flavorful and delicious. And what a creative idea to make them into gingerbread men…perfect for a festive holiday appetizer!
Cadry says
Thanks, Jenn!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
These are so freaking creative and cute Cadry! Falafel men, how did you even think of that?! I think for the month of December we should just make everything in cookie cutters 😀
Cadry says
Ha! I like that idea!
The Vegan 8 says
OMG, seriously Cadry these are the most creative things I’ve ever seen and SO CUTE! I love them so much!! Looks so delicious too!
Cadry says
Aw, thanks, Brandi! That’s so nice to hear!
Trinity Bourne says
Oh wow, how playful, I love the little characters. Delicious recipe too 🙂
Cadry says
Thanks, Trinity! 😀
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
Oh wow! This is so creative, Cadry! Absolutely LOVE it! 🙂 Oh and your cat looks so cute!
Cadry says
Thank you! He’s lucky he’s cute for all of the times he wakes me up at 3 am. Who could resist that face? 😀
Bianca says
Omg, falafel men!! Those are sooooo cute. And falafel beats gingerbread all day long. Oh, cats and holiday trees! I have 6 cats, and amazingly, they’ve all grown out of climbing the tree (they did when they were kittens though). But they do chew on the artificial pine, and I find cat vomit with tree bits in it every morning. It’s just part of the season for me now. I also have to keep breakable ornaments up high, so my clumsy dog doesn’t run into them and break them.
If only Mabel could see the tree! She isn’t allowed in the dining room because cats would eat her. But she’d love the holiday tree.
Cadry says
“‘Tis the season to find vomit. Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la…” Sounds festive! 😉
It sounds like you’ve made the holidays work with your furry family. Maybe I’ll get there someday too. If not, boxing everything up certainly takes no time this way. It would be so much fun to see Mabel with the tree. She really would love it!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners says
I have been wanting to make falafel for the longest time and your pics and recipe have finally pushed me to do it. Love your photos, your recipes, your kitty – a great blog! I love when healthy food looks so darn delicious and tempting. Thanks for the recipe, Cadry
Cadry says
What a sweet comment, Robyn! Thank you! Let me know how it goes with the falafel. 😀
Kristina says
LOVE these!! 🙂
Cadry says
Thanks, Kristina! 😀