These flavorful and moist Mini Beetroot Falafels make a healthy lunch and a wonderful vegetarian dinner. Serve it with some fresh salad or a spoonful of yogurt.
There are plenty of falafel recipes out there, but I have something special for you today: falafel with beetroot! You’re probably wondering: “Why beetroot?” Well, beetroot makes the falafel juicier and prettier . It gives it that special extra flavor and a beautiful hue. It is a MUST TRY for any falafel lover.
About a year and a half ago, my husband and I decided to cut down on the quantity of meat we consume and adopt healthier, animal-friendlier eating habits. We decided to eat meat/fish on weekends only and stay vegetarian the rest of the week. It is pretty hard to wake up one day and decide to become vegetarian, but, gradual, slow changes are easier to stick to — that is why we came up with this system. It is working really well for us, although I must admit that sometimes we “break” the rules (this usually happens if we are on vacation, or when we are away from home and I cannot cook). I always try to spice our menu up with new and exciting vegetarian dishes. That is how these colorful, meatless little falafel cutlets came to life. I hope that you’ll give it a try.
MY LATEST VIDEOSIt is important that you don’t use canned chickpeas in this recipe because they add a different texture to the falafels, and it’s not good. Just buy regular, dried chickpeas that are sold at every supermarket. I buy the chickpeas from Amazon and they are the best I’ve ever tried in my life. Seriously. They are amazing.
Once you’ve bought the chickpeas, soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. They’ll be ready to be used the next day.
To prep the falafel mixture, just place all the ingredients in the food processor (I’ve had my good ol’ Cuisinart Food Processor for many years) and blend until well processed but not pureed. The mixture should look like this. 
Using a tablespoon as a measure, form small balls out of the mixture and place them on parchment paper or plate. You may need to dip the spoon in clean water if the mixture gets stuck to the spoon.
Press these balls slightly with your fingers to give them a nice cutlet form. Now, these mini flavor-packed bombs are ready to be fried.
Fry these in a small amount of vegetable oil on a non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. Your falafels should have that nice, crispy crust and remain moist inside. Serve these with some fresh salad, your favorite salad dressing (I used Thousand Island), tzatziki sauce, or simply a spoonful of yogurt. Enjoy!
- 4 cups soaked chickpeas
- 1 cup shredded beets
- 1/2 large chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 6 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- vegetable oil for frying
- Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas in the food processor. Pulse it a few times to break the chickpeas and then add the rest of the ingredients.
- Pulse the mixture until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the chickpeas look well processed but not pureed.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture and form a small ball. You may need to dip the spoon in clean water to prevent the mixture from sticking. Repeat this step until you run out of the mixture.
- Press these balls slightly with your fingers to form small and cute patties.
- Fry the patties in the vegetable oil on the medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Before you go…
Check out these recipes
BEETROOT BURGER
POTATO GNOCCHI WITH MUSHROOMS
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
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Hi Tania
When I try to shallow fry it is too soft and breaking up. Any tips for that piece
Hi Anu! Are you following the recipe exactly? I never had this problem before. Flour is binding the falafel mixture together, so try using a little extra flour and see if it helps. Hope you’ll give this recipe another try. It’s so tasty!
Hi Tania, what a mouth watering idea. The beets, can I pre-cook them a bit? I’ve subscribed and can’t wait to delve into your recipes
Hi Liezl! Sure, you can pre-cook the beets if you want to, but the recipe will work great even without pre-cooking. Thanks!
My heart is beating fast from how excited I am !!!! Beats and chickpeas are my favorite ! I’m alone on this at my house but WHO CARES!!!!!???
If you like beets and chickpeas, this is definitely a MUST TRY recipe for you, Dee.
Hi i”ve used your recipe before and they are incredible. Thanks!! Though now I’m planning to prepare the patties for later days. Would you suggest I cook them then freeze? Or prepare patties, freeze them then cook em on the day?
Hi Rachael! I would suggest to prepare the patties and freeze them first. Then, thaw in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until ready to fry. Hope you’ll enjoy the recipe!
Have you ever tried baking them, instead of frying? I’m trying to get away from fried foods, but LOVE the sounds of this recipe.
Hi Melanie! I actually did try to bake these, but they turned out dry to my opinion. Still taste great, though. 🙂
Thanks Tania! you have become my inspiration for all my daily meals! my husband is enjoying the process too lol! this looks so delicious and simple! im trying it at diner! yay
Hi Karen! Thank you so much! Please, let me know how you and your husband enjoyed it! I know men are usually picky when it comes to vegetarian meals. 🙂
Are the beets cooked before adding to the recipe, or grated raw? These look terrific. Am looking forward to trying them.
Yes, Martha! The beets are grated raw. Hope you’ll give these a try soon! Have a super day!!!
Me and my wife have also cut down on all meats during the weekdays, and resort to meats during our weekend cheat day. It is definitely a game-changer. About the falafel – they look so great. Might just try my hand at this for my blog, and figure out a clever spin on the traditional wrapped falafel. Thanks for the inspiration!
It’s great to hear that you and your wife decided to cut down on meats as well! High five, Fernando!
You have a lovely blog and your Fried Halloumi Zucchini Taco… Wow! I am going to try that!!!
Love the addition of beetroot!
Thanks, Marla!
Wow, love that this dish is vegetarian. You had me at beetroot. …And that sauce on top is on point!
Thanks, Jessica! 🙂
These sounds fab! I love beets and falafel and never thought of putting the two together. Must try! Pinned!
Thanks Kathy! These falafels were super delicious! 🙂
The color is amazing. I just love how beetroot transforms a dish, not just in color but also in giving it that earthy flavor. I am going to incorporate beetroot into my regular recipes more, and I look forward to trying this falafel!
Thanks, Christine! I absolutely agree with you. Besides the color, the beetroot gives the dish a very special flavor and makes it moist.
This looks and sounds amazing!! I have never tried making falafel before but I think I now have to!
Thanks! Hope you are having an awesome day, Sam!
These sound amazing. I love that they’re vegan! I also like recipes that sneak beets into a recipe where beet isn’t the only flavor I taste. I am not the biggest fan of beets, but love how healthy they are, so I’ll sneak them in when I can.
Hope you’ll give these a try, Willow! Happy Valentine’s Day!
These look delicious. I am a huge falafal fan and I love the pretty red in this recipe from the beet!
Thank you, Shelby! I am a huge falafel fan too. 🙂