Try this Low Carb Falafel Waffle recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.49663875 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.1561275 g
- Fiber 0.238137499317527 g
- Protein 0.17641875 g
- Saturated Fat 0.01899875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -4 small waffle (13g)
- Sodium 1.08925 mg
- Sugar 1.25850125068247 g
- Trans Fat 0.026174 g
- Calories 6 calories
Step-by-step
- For a more traditional Falafel (non low carb) see the recipe notes for one easy substitution!
- Prepare your chickpea "base" by combining the chickpea flour and oil in medium bowl and reserve for later use in the recipe. The time it takes to prepare the cauliflower should be plenty of time for the base to thicken.
- In a food processor, add all other falafel ingredients and pulse until well combined. Transfer to your chickpea flour mixture and fold in until you see the batter coming together. A slightly thick batter is desireable if you want a crispier texture. If you'd like a bread-like waffle, add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water to thin.
- Heat your waffle iron to medium high and pour a tbsp of olive oil into the bottom well. This helps give you a a crisp fried texture!
- Spoon a small portion onto the iron and cook for 5-10 minutes or until desired crisp level is met. Serve with herbed feta, greens, and tzatziki!
Cauliflower rice releases significantly more internal moisture during cooking than soaked dried chickpeas ever will, which threatens to turn a waffle iron into a steaming chamber rather than a frying surface. To counter this, pulse the cauliflower until it resembles coarse grains, then salt it lightly and press it through a clean dish towel to extract excess water before mixing. Without this mechanical dehydration step, the batter becomes waterlogged, preventing the starches from setting properly against the hot grids.
When combined in the food processor, raw white onion and garlic release sulfur compounds and alliinase enzymes that bond with the earthy, volatile oils of ground cumin and dried oregano. Turmeric adds curcumin pigments that not only dye the mixture a vibrant yellow but also introduce subtle earthy bitterness to balance the sharp bite of rawAllium vegetables. This aromatic paste must be thoroughly integrated with the chickpea flour and oil base, creating a suspension where protein networks can coagulate around the vegetable particulates during heating.
Pouring a full tablespoon of olive oil directly into the bottom well of a medium-high waffle iron simulates deep frying, utilizing conductive heat to achieve a deep golden exterior crust. Cook each portion for five to ten minutes, watching for steam to subside and the edges to pull away cleanly from the iron grids before attempting extraction. Thinner batters requiring a bread-like crumb can be achieved by adding up to one-quarter cup of water, though extra hydration demands an extended cooking time to drive off residual moisture.
Traditional falafel relies entirely on soaked pulses rather than low-carbohydrate vegetable substitutions, meaning that swapping the cauliflower for soaked chickpeas requires removing the chickpea flour binder entirely to maintain the correct starch ratio. While chickpea flour provides necessary structure here, substituting it with all-purpose flour changes the protein matrix and eliminates the distinct nutty aroma characteristic of middle eastern street food. Respecting these flour ratios ensures the batter holds its shape under pressure without turning gummy inside the iron.
