Spicy Quinoa Chickpea Patties (Quinoa Falafel)
3 mins read

Spicy Quinoa Chickpea Patties (Quinoa Falafel)

The following recipe was originally published on RebelGrain.com. Visit the website for more great ideas and cooking tips!

I don’t know where my love of chickpeas comes from – but it runs deep.

I love them rinsed and raw and tossed in a salad…

I love them sautéed in some olive oil, fresh garlic, herbs, and seasonings for a warm power snack…

I love them baked…

I love them in soups…

I love to mash them up and make homemade hummus.

Chickpeas and all their buttery goodness make this mama happy.

Now, I have to admit something: while I’ve eaten more than my share of falafel, I never knew chickpeas were the main ingredient. Seriously. But when I discovered that falafel is actually just a chickpea patty – what do you think occurred to me?

Yep, you guessed it: I must blend my two loves – quinoa and chickpeas – and whip up my own version of falafel. You ready to try it? I hope so, because they are little cakes of savory protein goodness.

Here’s what you need:

Special tool: food processor

Ingredients (makes ten 3? diameter
patties)

  • 1.5 cups precooked quinoa
  • 1 can organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – drained and
    rinsed
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup diced white onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 TBSP gluten-free flour (or any regular flour will do if
    you’re not gluten free)
  • 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP  olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
In the bowl of your food processor, add everything EXCEPT the quinoa and flour. Process until mixture is smooth like a paste:

Add in your precooked quinoa and the 2 TBSP flour.

Then, with the best tool around – your hands – mash together all the ingredients until well incorporated…

(NOTE: I made these without the flour first and they didn’t hold together at all. So, the flour is KEY to getting these to bind properly into patties.)

Heat a flat fry pan and coat the bottom with a little olive oil. Form your patties, and then gently lay them into the hot pan.

Cook them on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

When they’re all done, you can eat them like I did.

Quinoa falafel on a bed of chopped organic greens tossed in olive oil and lemon juice, served with a handful of cherry tomatoes and topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Or, you can just make up a bunch to pop in the fridge and eat them like a finger food when you’re craving a little something. Just know this: they are super satisfying, have fabulous texture, and are just the thing to keep on hand for your busy mama days.

Pro tip: These would be fabulous for little eaters! If you’re going to feed them to your little ones that aren’t used to fully seasoned foods yet (5 and under, for example), cut the onion and lemon juice portions in half, and leave out all the dried seasonings except for a dash of the cumin and a little salt. Even though it’s bland, the quinoa and chickpeas together have excellent flavor for training little palates.

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