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Thai Gluten Free Falafels

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These Thai gluten free falafels are a gluten free worldly spin on a classic middle eastern dish! 
Using nutritious and easy to digest mung beans and quinoa as a base, these ultra flavorful vegetarian falafels are a must try!
 
a spicy orange slaw topped with a vegetarian mung bean falafel with an avocado slice
 
I have made these two times in the last month…and for anyone who knows me, that’s A LOT!!   The ingredients are deceiving, but these veggie burgers are truly addicting and flavorful!
 
For both health, budget, and ethical reasons, we’re making an attempt at AT LEAST one vegetarian meal a week.  If it was up to me, I could do more, but it is not just my taste buds to contend with in this household.
 
Finding meals that fit the bill of “filling and satisfying” can be a challenge, but this has won rave reviews both times.  Would you believe my hubby actually ate one of these this morning before heading to work?  Certainly not your typical breakfast, but they are very nutritious, and delicious…and did I mention: CHEAP to make!!
 
Mung beans are especially easy to digest and most people have no problems with gas from these beans.  Click here to read about all the great nutrients and health benefits found within them.  The quinoa is another nutritional powerhouse, with protein to boot!
 
Please plan on cooking the beans and quinoa in advance so they have time to cool.  I cook the quinoa with less water than normal for this recipe so the mixture binds and stays together.  Less Water = better binding! You can also assemble the whole mixture and refrigerate until chilled, the chilling part is key in keeping these patties together without an egg or egg replacer!

overhead shot of a white plate with munge bean falafels on a cabbage slaw

How to cook your own mung beans: 

No need to pre-soak mung beans. Rinse the beans and proceed.

STOVETOP:   In a stockpot, place rinsed beans, covering with double the amount of water.  For example, 1 cup of dry beans covered with 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.  1 cup dry beans = about two cups cooked.  You can salt them at the end if you like.

INSTANT POT: (Or a stovetop pressure cooker: click to see the one I use – LOVE!!), with at least 2″ of water over the beans, bring to full pressure and cook 5 minutes.  For my measurement people, use 1 cup of beans and 3 cups water. Let it naturally release for at least 10 minutes, then pour into a sieve to cool and drain thoroughly.

close up of quinoa and mung bean falafels topped with fresh avocado and cherry tomatoes

Suggested tool for making gluten free falafels: 

I adore my Microplane for all zesting and grating and know you will too!  Zesting the lime with this tool will make it a snap!
Nothing works as well, so investing in one is a must!

orange hued Thai slaw toped with crispy veggie burgers and avocado

Homemade special sauce for the Thai falafels:

I use my own homemade mayo and Siracha to drizzle over the top of these.  Sriracha is to taste, and I sometimes add in a splash of rice vinegar and lime juice too…makes a great slaw dressing to serve with these!
 
birdseye view of vegetarian mung bean falafels atop a spicy slaw with fresh tomatoes and avocado slices
 

Gluten Free Falafels Recipe:

If you try these magical Thai falafels, be sure to come back and leave a comment!

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Thai Mung Bean Felafels

A worldly spin on a nutritious and filling falafel! Mung beans and quinoa mix together with some traditional Thai ingredients for and outstanding vegetarian meal!

Course Main Course
Cuisine thai
Keyword gluten free falafels, mung bean recipe, vegan falafels
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 344 kcal
Author Tessa the Domestic Diva

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
  • 4 green onions ends trimmed, white and green parts!
  • 2 hot peppers seeded. I use serrano
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger peeled (about 2")
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
  • 2 cups mung beans, cooked drained well and COOLED COMPLETELY ( I have used both the split mung beans found in Asian markets that are yellow, as well as the whole green ones found in natural foods stores -usually in bulk by the other beans. We liked them both ways, but the whole ones were easy to find organic and aren't from China where regulation is bit more loosey goosey). How to cook directions in post above.
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa COOLED COMPLETELY (cook 1 cup rinsed quinoa w/ 1 1/3 cup water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat and cook 15 minutes until tender). Turn off heat and let sit covered for at least 10 minutes.
  • 1 large egg or 1T flax meal gelled with 3T hot water. Optional, but easier to keep falafels together.
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Prepare quinoa and mung beans at least a couple hours in advance so they are fully cool. Set aside.

  2. In a food processor fitted with an "s" blade, blend all ingredients except the beans and quinoa until finely minced.

  3. Add in the beans and continue to pulse until pasty and slightly smooth, but not pureed (this is more necessary with the whole beans). If you decide to use the gg or flax egg, this gets pulsed in here as well.

  4. Add in the quinoa and pulse until well blended.

  5. You can refrigerate the whole mixture at this point if you like until you are ready to pan fry them, or proceed.

  6. Prep your fixings. I recommend fresh tomatoes, avocado slices, and instead of buns or wraps or pitas: a lettuce or napa cabbage leaf to wrap and around and crunch through...it's a great texture!! I also like to serve them atop shredded raw cabbage. I also like to make a drizzle of m homemade mayo and Sriracha mixed together. I have Thai slaw dressing above you could try in post!

  7. When ready, preheat a pan over medium heat. When hot, add in a tablespoon of your preferred fat. I like to use coconut or avocado oil.

  8. Gather a handful of the mixture in your hands and gently pat and form into a patty. Alternately, use a large cookie scoop for uniform patties: just press down gently to flatten once in the pan.

  9. Place in the preheated pan.

  10. Cook each patty about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown, adjust your heat if necessary. Because there are no eggs, these patties are more fragile, so use care when flipping IF appearances are important to you. Add more oil with each batch.

Nutrition Facts
Thai Mung Bean Felafels
Amount Per Serving
Calories 344 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 47mg16%
Sodium 612mg27%
Potassium 561mg16%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 431IU9%
Vitamin C 37mg45%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
pinterest ready gluten free falafels with avocado slice and tomatoes
 
 

 

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Comments

    • Tessa says

      Never tried, worth a shot though!I might add a touch of coconut flour if the mixture seems fragile, making it easier to form and bake

      Reply

  6. Danielle @ Poor and Gluten Free says

    Yay! Like most of the others here, I have a bag of mung beans in my cupboard I need to use (bought during a sprouting phase when I *thought* sprouted mung bean bread would be a good idea. hehehe…yuck. My kitchen smelt funky for days)

    Thanks so much for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Tessa. I’ve pinned it 🙂

    Reply

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