Mediterranean Falafel Wraps

The best falafel are moist, tender, and packed with flavor, with a satisfyingly crunchy crust. They are traditionally made with chickpeas, with flour to bind everything together. This wouldn’t work for keto, naturally. Most keto versions of falafel use cauliflower but we were disappointed by the soggy, distinctly vegetal fritters cauliflower produced. Someone suggested mushrooms instead. We gave them a shot and were amazed by the similarity of our faux-lafel to the real thing. The mushrooms added bulk and mimicked the earthy savoriness of this popular Middle Eastern street food.

Almond flour and an egg white bound our fritters together and an abundance of herbs and spices (cilantro, cumin, coriander) mimicked falafel flavor. The falafel looked and tasted great but stayed soggy in the middle and lacked a distinctive crust. The culprit? The moisture of the mushrooms. Would evaporating more liquid help? We processed the mushrooms in a food processor and cooked them covered so they released water. Then we cooked them uncovered until they were quite dry. Now we could easily flavor, shape, and fry them into fritters that were crispy all the way through. No falafel is complete without toppings—we accompanied ours with a naturally low-carb tahini sauce and a no-sugar radish pickle and topped off the dish with refreshing, crunchy cucumber.

Instructions :

1. Microwave vinegar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne in medium bowl until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Add radishes and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Drain radishes and return to
   now-empty bowl; set aside for serving.
2. Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 25 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned and dry, about 10 minutes; transfer to large bowl.
3. Process cilantro, parsley, coriander, cumin, garlic, and remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne in now-empty processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir herb
   mixture, flour, and egg white into mushrooms until combined. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4. Pinch off and roll mushroom mixture into 1½ tablespoon-size balls (you should have 12 balls). Flatten balls into ¾-inch-thick patties.
5. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook patties until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer patties to paper towel–lined plate and let drain briefly. Divide patties evenly among lettuce leaves and top with cucumber, radishes, and tahini sauce. Serve.

Mediterranean Falafel Wraps

The best falafel are moist, tender, and packed with flavor, with a satisfyingly crunchy crust. They are traditionally made with chickpeas, with flour to bind everything together. This wouldn’t work for keto, naturally. Most keto versions of falafel use cauliflower but we were disappointed by the soggy, distinctly vegetal fritters cauliflower produced. Someone suggested mushrooms instead.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 340 kcal

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ⅛ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon table salt divided
• ⅛ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper divided
• 4 radishes 4 ounces, trimmed and sliced thin
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms trimmed and halved
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• ¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ¾ cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ¼ cup blanched finely ground almond flour
• 1 large egg white
• 12 large Bibb lettuce leaves
• ¼ English cucumber 4 ounces, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• ¼ cup Tahini Sauce this page

Instructions

 

• Microwave vinegar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne in medium bowl until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Add radishes and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Drain radishes and return to now-empty bowl; set aside for serving.
• Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 25 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned and dry, about 10 minutes; transfer to large bowl.
• Process cilantro, parsley, coriander, cumin, garlic, and remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne in now-empty processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir herb mixture, flour, and egg white into mushrooms until combined. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Pinch off and roll mushroom mixture into 1½ tablespoon-size balls (you should have 12 balls). Flatten balls into ¾-inch-thick patties.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook patties until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer patties to paper towel–lined plate and let drain briefly. Divide patties evenly among lettuce leaves and top with cucumber, radishes, and tahini sauce. Serve.

Keyword Mediterranean Falafel Wraps