Navy Bean Falafel
Packed with plant protein and flavor, these easy, gluten-free Navy Bean Falafel are spiced with smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, onion, and garlic and make a tasty and nutritious snack or side dish.
Popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, falafel are deep-fried fritters made with fava beans or chickpeas (or a combination of both) and a variety of spices. They are usually crunchy on the outside and tender and tasty on the inside.
However, today I have my spin on falafel.
Instead of using fava beans or chickpeas, the falafel you see here in this post are made with canned navy beans, carrots, and a plethora of seasonings. These Navy Bean Falafel are pan-fried to crispy perfection.
What are the ingredients needed to make these Navy Bean Falafel?
You will need the following 12 ingredients to make these navy bean falafel, most of which might be pantry staples:
- Canned navy beans
- Egg
- Onion
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Carrot
- Smoked paprika
- Ground turmeric
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Almond flour
- Salt and black pepper
- Oil
Substitutions
- Canned navy beans
I usually have canned navy beans on hand as I can easily add them to everything from veggie balls to cheesecake to navy bean soup, without having to soak them. I like to use navy beans in this falafel recipe because they tend to have a creamier and more mild flavor than fava beans. A cup of cooked navy beans (which made this list of “9 Healthy Beans and Legumes You Should Try” has about 255 calories, 15 grams of protein, 19 grams of fiber, and 47 grams of carbohydrates. They contain no saturated fat and are a good source of calcium and potassium. And, the high fiber content of navy beans (and other white beans) is said to help lower cholesterol. In this recipe, navy beans can be substituted with fava beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans.
- Egg
The egg in this recipe is a binder. However, it can be left out, and the quantity of almond flour reduced so that when the other ingredients are mixed together in a food processor, they can be formed into a patty or ball without falling apart.
- Onion + Garlic
I like to use fresh onion and fresh garlic in this recipe. If you are not a fan of peeling and chopping garlic and ginger, most stores sell peeled and chopped garlic and ginger in the produce section, though they tend to cost more than the fresh, intact ones.
- Carrot
I wanted a pop of color and a little more added fiber to this dish, so I opted to add in some grated carrot. The carrot can be substituted with some chopped spinach or kale, or it can be omitted completely.
- Spices
Smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, and cumin are spices that are pantry staples for me. I use them in everything from curries to roasts to chutneys. I love the combination of these four spices. However, if you have some harissa on hand, you could use 3 teaspoons of harissa instead. You could also add in a teaspoon of oregano or parsley.
- Almond flour
I wanted to keep these navy bean falafel gluten-free, so I opted to use almond flour. However, if you do not require that these be gluten-free, almond flour can be substituted with bread crumbs.
- Oil
A few tablespoons of olive oil was all that were used to pan-fry these falafel. The olive oil can be substituted with any oil you have on hand.
Instructions
These Navy bean Falafel are so easy to make. And with a little carrot and onion, these little bites are big on taste! These are also jam-packed with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and coriander – ingredients, my mom swears, ward off nasty colds.
- To start, peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Then rinse and grate the carrot.
- Open the can of navy beans and drain the liquid out. Then, add the navy beans to a colander and rinse them well under running water.
- Then, place all the ingredients (the navy beans, grated carrot, chopped onion and ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and almond flour) in a food processor or blender, and pulse until all ingredients are well incorporated. Make sure to pulse your food processor until the ingredients are well mixed. Do not over-process or blend the ingredients as the resulting mixture will be too mushy.
- Right from the food processor, shape the mixture into balls and flatten each ball slightly. However, if you used a blender, then scoop the mixture into a bowl and then gather some of the mixture, and shape the falafel.
- Then add the olive oil to a frying pot or frying pan, and place it on a stovetop set to medium heat. Depending on your stove, you might have to increase this to a medium-high heat.
- When the oil is warm, add the shaped falafel (they will be slightly wet but will dry out as they cook) and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sometimes my daughter and I plan on binge-watching a series of movies or the latest season of our favorite TV series (our current one is You)
Well, this past weekend we rented and sat down and watched one titled “God’s Not Dead.” This movie had been on our “to watch list” even though “critics” gave it a score of 16 out of 100!
Now, I might not have the experienced perception of a movie critic, but I would have to disagree with that score! This movie ignited discussions and realizations in our house that were eye-opening.
While the main focus of this movie is on the college student who decides to take on the challenge of proving God is not dead to his atheist professor, numerous other characters show the strength, perseverance, and beauty of the human spirit when fueled by faith.
One such character that moved me was “Reverend Jude,” played by Benjamin Ochieng. Reverend Jude’s quite calm, his wise words, his hope, and his always joyful demeanor not only reminded me of my dad, but they also reminded me that there is usually a reason for things. We might not understand these reasons or accept what may be. Sometimes we question the reason behind a loved one’s death. Sometimes we cannot seem to see the reason behind a friend’s health woes. Sometimes we are baffled at the never-ending onslaught of bills that threaten to drive us to bankruptcy. And, sometimes we are boggled by friendships and relationships that just end. But, if we stay still, oh so still and look clearer, we might see that the reason has nothing to do with the result.. and we just have to hang in there and trust.
My daughter and I enjoyed this movie and didn’t get up to get any snacks, mostly because we had a whole bowl of these Navy Bean Falafel bites with some sweet chili sauce and mango chutney, and a celery stalk on the side.
How to serve these Navy Bean Falafel bites?
These Navy Bean Falafel make a delicious snack when served at room temperature with some spicy sweet chili sauce or pumpkin chili sauce, and mango chutney or purple sweet potato chutney.
These falafel can also be served as a side dish with a meal consisting of this Za’atar Ras El Hanout Chicken, these sautéed celery, and these air fryer zucchini fries.
Or, with some Marry me tofu, lemon za’atar quinoa, and this pistachio kale crunch salad.
These falafel pair well with everything from roast veggies and meat recipes to soup recipes.
Storage
Leftovers of these navy bean falafel can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or so.
These falafel can also be placed in an airtight plastic bag and stored in the freezer. They can be reheated by placing them in an air fryer or oven set to 350 degrees, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans (drained, rinsed canned navy beans ~ I dried these between paper towels to remove excess moisture)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup carrot grated
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tbsp almond flour (or more if falafel are too wet)
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Instructions
- To start, peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Then rinse and grate the carrot.
- Open the can of navy beans and drain the liquid out. Then, add the navy beans to a colander and rinse them well under running water.
- Then, place all the ingredients (the navy beans, grated carrot, chopped onion and ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and almond flour) in a food processor or blender, and pulse until all ingredients are well incorporated. Make sure to pulse your food processor until the ingredients are well mixed. Do not over-process or blend the ingredients as the resulting mixture will be too mushy.
- Right from the food processor, shape the mixture into balls and flatten each ball slightly. However, if you used a blender, then scoop the mixture into a bowl and then gather some of the mixture, and shape the falafel.
- Then add the olive oil to a frying pot or frying pan, and place it on a stovetop set to medium heat. Depending on your stove, you might have to increase this to a medium-high heat.
- When the oil is warm, add the shaped falafel (they will be slightly wet but will dry out as they cook) and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Fun idea here, Shashi! I’ve had falafel a few times, and I’ve always enjoyed it…but I’ve definitely never had it with navy beans. Laura is a huge falafel fan, so I might need to give this a try when she’s around. Thanks for the inspiration!
These falafel are some of the most flavorful I have had. Thanks for the recipe.
My husband said it is the best falafel he has ever he has ever had. It was so easy to make. I didn’t have any coriander but I threw in a bit of cilantro. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe
The the flavor of these are so yummy but found that they were very crumbly when cooking so not sure if I did some thing wrong when I mixed everything.