So it’s two for one day over here at IBIH! Why are you getting a bonus post today? Because I just couldn’t sit on it for another day, that’s why!
Recently I posted this low carb hummus recipe, and in the post I mentioned having an idea for a cauliflower-based falafel. Well I had so much cauliflower in my fridge that I finally decided to start testing it out this afternoon.
I wasn’t really sure how I was going to go about it, just had a few theories on what might work and what wouldn’t. I figured I’d at least start today, but never dreamed that it would turn out as well as it did on the first try!
This cauliflower-based low carb falafel recipe is so good that it was all I could do not to burst into song like a Disney princess when I took the first taste of it.
I wanted the crunchy texture of a chickpea-based falafel so I started with raw cauliflower, first roughly chopped, and then ground in the food processor. I was worried that it would be too mushy when it cooked, so to keep the chickpea-like texture, I thought maybe ground almonds might do the trick.
I used the slivered almonds you can buy in the baking section of most grocery stores and ground them to a still slightly chunky texture in my magic bullet. To that I added the classic flavorings of falafel, a little heavier on the cumin to hide any cauliflower flavor.
To help bind it I used coconut flour and eggs.
When I formed them they held together well, but I never dredged them and I worried that they wouldn’t brown. As you can see by the picture they DID and perfectly!
Super crunchy like falafel should be! And the interior texture was so good – the slight crunch of the nuts mimicked the chickpeas unbelievably well! The real test though, was whether or not I could get them by my husband and four year old son. Hungry Jr. pronounced them “delicious” and Mr. Hungry never even tasted the cauliflower!
This is a major win for me because he HATES cauliflower and can sniff out even a hint of it like a cadaver dog in a cemetery. So when he got home from work I’d already cleaned up the evidence and had him taste one. He thought they were great except for the slight crunch of the nuts which is a weird thing he has.
Never caught the cauliflower though and was surprised when I told him. YYESSSS! In your FACE!!! (LOL, just kidding! I didn’t really say that but I did think it and do a mental victory dance!) They really are THAT good!
I can’t wait for you guys to try them and tell me what you think! If you like falafel, I think you’ll really enjoy them. If you’ve never tried falafel, then you’ll really REALLY enjoy them! Heck if you have a mouth, you are going to enjoy them!
Keto Falafel with Tahini Sauce (Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: (8) 3" patties
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
A Keto Falafel and Tahini Sauce recipe with a taste and texture that beautifully mimics the real thing! Gluten free, Low Carb, Keto.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cauliflower, pureed
- 1/2 cup ground slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- Tahini sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired
Instructions
- For the cauliflower you should end up with a cup of the puree. It takes about 1 medium head (florets only) to get that much. First chop it up with a knife, then add it to a food processor or magic bullet and pulse until it’s blended but still has a grainy texture.
- You can grind the almonds in a similar manner – just don’t over grind them, you want the texture.
- Combine the ground cauliflower and ground almonds in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended.
- Heat a half and half mix of olive and grapeseed (or any other light oil) oil until sizzling. While it’s heating, form the mix into 8 three-inch patties that are about the thickness of a hockey puck.
- Fry them four at a time until browned on one side and then flip and cook the other side. Resist the urge to flip too soon – you should see the edges turning brown before you attempt it – maybe 4 minutes or so per side.
- Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Serve with tahini sauce and a tomato & parsley garnish if desired.
- Tahini sauce: Blend all ingredients in a bowl. Thin with more water if you like a lighter consistency.
Notes
Approximate net carbs= 5.5g
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 patties
- Calories: 203
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 5.5g
- Protein: 6g
Anu says
I made these last weekend and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you so much! I’d love to make them again for my OH but there’s a few things, like others, I’m a bit confused about. I too got a huge amount of cauliflower from my “medium head” (4 cups), so I ended up using 2 cups rather than 1… perhaps that was my first mistake? I left the other ingredients at their original amounts and this made the patties a bit crumbly when I fried them, a couple of them fell to bits. Doesn’t matter, though, because they tasted so delicious, but I’m wondering if you could please confirm the quantities again? I managed to shape 8 x 3″ patties with the 2 cups of cauliflower and I really don’t think I would’ve gotten even close with 1 cup, so should it be 1 cup or 2? Also, how much oil do you use for frying? Is it more a pan fry or a deep fry? Your gorgeous photo has the falafel browned all over, but mine only really browned on the two sides, with the edges still the colour of the batter. Should I have used more oil? Thanks again!
Virginia says
Same thing happened to me. After using the Cuisinart, I got about 3 cups,0. I increased everything by double except the egg. They held together well.
Janet says
She does say “1 cup” cauliflower so forget that she says a “medium head” and proceed. But I always double the whole batch and make 16 of these delicious patties…because they never last long in our house….and why go to all the trouble to only get a meal. They stay great in the fridge and rewarmed in the microwave.
Jennifer says
Very good had to make a second batch!
Jennifer says
I was sceptical if this would turn out but the family loved it so much I had to make a second batch! Very, very good?
Kathrin Botkin says
Absolutely LOVED it – super easy to make and super yummy. My husband (who is a Falafel – lover) rated them as BEST falafels ! Goes super well with Paleo Nane bread and the Zucchini Humus ! Definitely a winner. Thank you
Beth says
I was looking for a coconut flour falafel recipe when I happened upon this. It sounded divine so I thought I’d try it. They’re fantastic!!! I will mention that being a rebel in the kitchen, I’m incapable of following a recipe as written so I added my own personal touches…I ground fresh kale in with the cauliflower. I used sesame seeds instead of almonds, and I baked them at 425 in a good amount of coconut oil instead of frying them.
I also made an avocado and tahini “hummus” to go with them. My dad’s family is Lebanese so I’ve been making traditional hummus my whole life. But I just started a ketogenic eating plan so needed to 86 the chickpeas. 1 ripe avocado, about 1/4 cup tahini, juice of one lemon, garlic to taste (we use a lot) and dried mint. Blend together. Drool-worthy.
Thank you SO much for this awesome recipe. I can’t wait to try (and of course mess around with) many others!
xoxo
niki says
I really needed to comment on this recipe. I have a HATE HATE relationship with cauliflower. I LITERALLY have thrown it up every single time I have tried eating it, all of my life.
it is offensive and disgusting. Cauliflower is the anti christ.
However… in an attempt to add new vegetables, I braved it and made your recipe and I LOVED it!! My husband loved it as well and he is not a huge fan of cauliflower either.
WELL DONE!
Mellissa Sevigny says
WOOT! I consider this a huge victory!!! Welcome to the dark side! :)
Wendy says
I love all of your recipes as so many of your followers do! I have recently made the faux-lafels and they really turned out amazing. The taste and texture were very comparable to the real thing, even better. I left my almonds very slivered like texture and my kids loved them. My only concern was my tahini sauce, it was very salty as the recipe called for 1 tsp of salt. Should I have used table salt instead of sea salt? In future I might even omit the salt altogether. What are your thought. Thanks again for all of your amazing creations!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I use kosher salt which is flaky and probably not as dense as your sea salt, definitely experiment with using less next time – salt is a tough measurement in a recipe because people’s taste is so different and the different varieties can vary so much in how salty they are. Glad you enjoyed the recipe though and thanks for the feedback!
anarcho-taoist says
Just like the real thing almost – maybe even better!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much – I couldn’t ask for higher praise!
Sherrie says
I made these the other night, they were delish. I added curry powder instead of cumin and corriander, just because. They were a little delicate in the pan but after being in the refrigerator overnight they had an even better texture. They were yummy for lunch the next day. Thanks so much for the recipe. Can’t wait to make them for my vegetarian daughter. Who knew a vegetarian and a low-carber eating the same thing!! Love it!
Susan says
I don’t know how I stumble upon this recipe, and was rather skeptical, but my husband hates cauliflower too so I thought I’d give this a go. SOOOOOO YUMMY! Neither of us could believe they were made of cauliflower! I made a double batch because my head of cauliflower gave me 2 cups when pureed. I’m glad I did because we had 1 batch for dinner (with a big salad) and the 2nd batch for lunch the next day, this time in wraps with lettuce and toms. Instead of the tahini sauce (didn’t have tahini on hand) I topped them with plain yogurt and chopped mint. I’m now going to go through the rest of your recipes – thanks!!!