Okay, I realize that falafel has a bit of a bad rep sometimes so I’m standing up for it. You might be thinking I’ve gone too far by adding beets to an already unpopular food but you honestly can’t taste it. I simplified things by using some precooked beets that I got from the store. Fresh is definitely better but I can’t deny these are pretty convenient.
For serving these, you can definitely go the gyro route and have them on pitas with whatever topping you like. Personally I’m more of a bowl fan, but you guys already knew that. I like to serve them with some kind of potatoes, rice, or other grain and then all the veggies and drizzle it all with the tahini mustard sauce.
-Baked Red Beet Falafel + Tahini Mustard Sauce-
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small peeled cooked beets (I used lovebeets)
1 can 15 oz cooked garbanzo beans
1 small onion peeled
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
2 tablespoons flax meal
1 cup oat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
Tahini Mustard Sauce:
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup mustard
Optional for Serving:
4-6 large pita breads
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Combine the beans, beets, garlic, onion, and spices in a food processor (a blender will work also if that's all you have) and pulse until combined into a nearly smooth mixture. Scrape the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and add the cornstarch, flax meal, oat flour, and almond flour and mix until combined.
Scoop or roll the mixture into balls (about 2 tablespoons) and place them about 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, turning them at about 20 minutes, until the outsides are crispy and slightly darkened on the edges. Serve along with pita bread, rice, or on there own.
Tahini Mustard Sauce:
Stir together the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and serve with the hot falafels.
