Prep Time

24 hours (to soak chickpeas overnight) + 1 hour of prep (only 20 mins of prep without the sweet potato cassava wraps).

Serves 4-6 wraps with some extra falafel and sauce.

Note: all the ingredients can be doubled without an issue. Usually, per wrap I have 2-3 pieces of falafel and 1-2 tbs drizzle of tzatziki sauce.

Ingredients for falafel: serves 20 pieces

• 1-2 c dried garbanzo beans (canned won’t work, they’ll be too mushy)
• 1/2 c packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 c packed parsley leaves
• 1/2 c packed basil leaves (this is the secret ingredient!!)
• 1/2 c chopped white onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbs coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (to taste)
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 3 tbs avocado or olive oil

Ingredients for paleo tzatziki sauce: 8 servings (2 tbs)

• 1/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or cashew milk
• 1/3 cup mayo (Primal Kitchen is a great one) — vegan substitution uses cashew “cheese”, find the easy recipe here (will include overnight soaking prep as well)
• 1/2 medium cucumber
• 1 tbs lemon juice or coconut vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp dried dill (2 tsp of fresh)
• Dash of sea salt and pepper

Ingredients for paleo sweet potato cassava wraps: 4-6 wraps

• 1 c mashed sweet potato
• 2 c cassava flour (I used Otto’s)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 8 tbs avocado or olive oil

Steps:

Note: I wrote these steps in order as if you were making all of the pieces at the same time (falafel, sweet potato cassava wraps, then tzatziki sauce) to be most efficient.

1. PSoak garbanzo beans in water (cover them entirely) in a glass bowl for 24 hours. Make sure to put at least 3 inches of extra water, the beans will triple in size! After soaking, drain beans. If using cashew instead of mayo, soak cashews for only 12 hours. Drain cashews and store in fridge until recipe time
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. At the same time, peel and cut up sweet potato into small pieces and boil on the stovetop for about 30-40 minutes until tender.
3. While sweet potato is boiling, put all ingredients for the falafel into a food processor. Pulse the mix, be sure to continuously mix it so that it breaks up the larger pieces, but doesn’t puree the mix. Make sure to taste test as you go to add extra salt, pepper, etc.
4. Prepare a baking tray with a silicone mat or aluminum foil. If using foil, spread a little layer of oil before putting falafel on tray. Then, form the mixture into approximately 1″ circular patties. Be sure to pat them down (see photo below). Brush the tops of each patty with a little bit of oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Then flip over and bake for another 10 minutes.
5. While the patties are baking, let’s get started on the sweet potato cassava wraps. Combine the cooked sweet potato with 1 cup of cassava flour in a bowl, mix with your hands. A dough will start to form. Continually add in 1/4 cup the dough is no longer super sticky. At the same time, start warming 1-2 pans with medium heat. By this time, make sure to check the falafel in the oven!
6. Then, on a counter or cutting board, cover the surface with cassava flour to press out the dough mixture into 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick circle. (Photo below). If dough is too sticky, add extra cassava flour.
7. Press out 1-2 wraps at a time and once you’re finished making them, put a bit of oil into the pan and place 1 wrap in for about 3-4 minutes. There should be browning and then flip to the other side (add extra oil if needed). When they are finished cooking in the pan, remove and put on a plate with a paper towel or cool on a rack. If you make these prior to the falafel, store in an air-tight container after they have cooled. I put a paper towel in between each one to prevent them from getting soggy. Don’t put in the fridge.
8. During this time, you’ll likely need to remove the falafel from the oven! Let it cool. It should be brown and crispy on both sides.
9. Finally, the sauce. Add all ingredients to a food processor to combine. Put in a small serving dish. If you make it before, make sure to store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
10. I also like to add some cut lettuce and carrots on the wraps.
11. Load up a wrap with 2-3 falafel pieces, add lettuce and carrots, drizzle on the tzatziki and enjoy!!

Inspiration:

So, I haven’t had falafel or tzatziki sauce in close to 4 years. It used to be one of my most favorite foods! I’ve recently started adding legumes back into my diet with guidance from a nutrition (another story coming soon!). I knew I couldn’t handle the fried version, so I desperately sought a way to try this yummy meal a different way. I was inspired by a recipe I found and tweaked it based on my sensitivity to olive oil and lemon (yep, you read that right!)

This dish is also great without the sweet potato cassava wraps. They are super delicious, but I limit consumption because they are high in carbs.