Air Fryer Falafel with Beetroot

Make your favourite falafel Air Fryer with minimum oil loaded with goodness of beetroot | Vegan, Gluten-free, low oil healthy Air Fryer Falafel with Beetroot recipe.

Protein rich beetroot falafel are healthy and tasty snacks for your whole family. Serve it at your parties as starters/appetizers (hors d'oeuvre) or serve with wraps and sandwiches or burgers for a filling and hearty meal.

Detailed written recipe + Video for --Baked + Air Fryer Falafel with Beetroot

About the Recipe

The best crunchy Air Fryer Beetroot Falafels made with minimum oil. Healthy and protein rich these falafels are ideal to serve as snacks, pack for lunchboxes or serve as starters with dip (in wraps and burgers).

Making falafels in air fryer cuts down the excess oil which is present when we deep fry. You can also bake in oven for low oil version. Adding beetroot with chickpeas notches up the nutrient quotient and adds a beautiful hue to these chickpeas patties.

In this post I am covering Air fryer Beetroot Falafels, along with baking instructions.

What is Falafel

Falafel is deep fried ball or patty made with chickpeas or fava beans or both. The chickpeas version is now widely popular as chickpeas are easily available all around the world. Falafel is of Arab origin and now popular as Middle Eastern food. It is also a part of Egyptian or Levantine Cuisine. Falafel is served as snack with various dips, or as part of mezze platter, served in wraps topped with pickled vegetables, salad vegetables and various dips or spreads like tzatziki or baba ganoush.

It is very popular among vegetarians and vegan as protein source, replacement for meats. The deep fried version is sold as street food but now with the convenience of ovens and air fryers we can also make it in less oil.

Check my post Falafel with Mint yogurt dip for basic falafel recipe.

Best Beetroot Falafel in Air Fryer Recipe

Falafels(basic) are made with chickpeas and herbs like cilantro and parsley. Add more nutrition to your basic falafels by adding veggies like beetroot, butternut squash, spinach, kale or carrot. These not only add to nutrition but also beautiful color to falafels.

Beetroot falafel s one of the delicious way to include beetroot in your food especially for kids.

Advantages of having Air Fryer at Home

Investing in an Air Fryer is one of the best decisions that we can make for our kitchen. This kitchen gadget is so handy and there are so many options available nowadays. It can be used for baking, as a substitute to frying (one of the best) and roasting the veggies, snacks.

• Air frying cuts down the amount of oil used for deep frying snacks.
• Deep frying certain food items may produce some cancer causing compounds. Air frying reduces the risk of formation of such compounds.
• No standing over the cooking dish and continuous monitoring.
• Use it to crisp the frozen food instead of deep frying which is more fuss, quick and more health friendly.

Air fryers are handy kitchen gadgets and do not occupy much counter space.

Use your Air Fryer in everyday cooking and you can even bake cakes and muffins as per the capacity of your Air Fryer.

Checkout the various Air Fryer Recipes form the blog here--> AIR FRYER RECIPES Vegetarian and Vegan

Ingredients to make Beetroot Falafel

Chickpeas- Raw Soaked Chickpeas are used to make crispy falafels. Soak chickpeas overnight or for at least 4-5 hrs. Avoid using boiled/canned chickpeas as it gives very soft and mushy texture to falafels.

Beetroot- The main star ingredient of the recipe, which adds a beautiful red color to the patties. Add raw beetroot. You can add grated beetroot or process in food processor before adding chickpeas.

Herbs- Onion, garlic, cilantro/fresh coriander or parsley, green chillies(optional).

For binding falafels- Authentic falafel recipes do not suggest adding chickpea flour. This is optional. Chickpea flour is commonly used for binding if your mixture is a bit wet. You can add breadcrumbs also then this won't be a gluten-free recipe. Gluten-free breadcrumbs for gluten-free recipe.

Spices- Cumin seeds/powder, Salt, Olive oil. Add oil in the falafel mixture, it keeps the patties moist.

Baking Powder- Many recipes suggest to add baking powder to get soft falafels especially when frying. But I skip it. You can add 1/4 tsp, incase you want to add.

Sesame Seeds- I have also added sesame seeds you can add or skip it . It is optional. Not shown in the pic.

How to make Air Fryer Falafels with Beetroot

• Soak chickpeas for about 7-8 hrs or overnight. Rinse in water when ready to make. Leave chickpeas on colander to drain water completely.
• Take peeled and cubed beetroot. Pulse to chop it finely in food processor/grinder.
• Now add chickpeas, onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, cumin seeds and salt. Grind the ingredients coarsely. Don't add any water. It should not be a soggy/wet mixture.
• Transfer the mixture to mixing bowl.
• Add sesame seeds chickpea flour/breadcrumbs(optional), oil and mix nicely.
• With wet hands or lightly oil your hands and start making patties. Take 1 tbsp mix. and form into a ball. Then lightly flatten it to shape it like a patty. This ensures even baking in air fryer and oven.

• Arrange patties in air fryer basket. You can lightly brush or spray oil on Air Fryer basket.
• Then air fry patties at 200 °C or 400 °F for 15 mins. Flip the patties after 10 mins. for even frying.
• Flip the patties very lightly so that it doesn't break.

Baked Falafel with Beetroot

To bake Beetroot falafel in oven, lightly brush or spray the baking tray with oil. Arrange falafels on the tray. Bake Falafels at 200 C or 400F for 25-30 mins. Turn the patties first after 15 mins.

Baking takes more time then Air Frying.

Tips to make Perfect Beetroot Falafel in Air Fryer

• Do not use canned or boiled chickpeas. Use raw soaked chickpeas.
• Completely drain water from chickpeas and leave on colander for few minutes or you can dry with paper towel.
• Grind Chickpeas coarsely. We do not want a creamy or pasty mixture.
• Chill the patties for about 10-15 mins. before air frying.
• Brush oil in the air fryer basket and baking tray and also on the patties. Or, use a parchment sheet for layering falafels.
• Flip the patties carefully so that it doesn't disintegrate/ fall apart.
• Adding oil keep the patties moist else it may turn out very dry. Also, brush the patties with oil before air frying/baking and also while flipping midway.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Air Fryer Falafels with the dip of your choice. Tzatziki, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus or Sweet and Spicy Carrot Hummus, Spinach and Mint dip , Labneh or this Mango Chilli Sauce.

Beetroot Falafels can also be also served as part of Mezze platter with different fruits, veggies, pita and dips. You can also add to salad bowls, wraps. Make falafel sandwiches or mini burgers for kids with mayo or like this with mint yogurt dip.

FAQ's

More recipes with Chickpeas and similar from the blog

Instant Pot Chole Masala, Chole/Chana Masala(Stove-top Pressure Cooker Recipe), Dhaniya Chole(Chickpeas cooked in Cilantro based gravy), Pindi Chole(traditional rustic no onion garlic chickpea curry from the Indian cuisine), Hummus, Sweet and Spicy, Carrot Hummus, Falafels, Chickpea and Sweet Potato patties, Vegan Chickpea Salad,, Baked Chickpeas, Chickpea Sundal(South Indian style chickpeas with coconut)

Chickpeas and Couscous Soup

Rajma and Spinach Cutlets, Chana Dal and Yam Kebabs, Aloo Poha cutlets, Hara Bhara Kebab, Raw Banana Cutlets, Raw Papaya Kebabs, Aloo Makhana aur Kaju cutlets, Cheesy Semolina Bites, Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms, Tandoori Gobhi/Cauliflower Tikka and many more.

Recipes with Beetroot

Beetroot is a rich source of iron and antioxidants. It is loaded with fibre, minerals and

Instant Sooji and Oats Appe with Beetroot, Whole Wheat and Beetroot Sliders, Roasted Beetroot Chaas, Beetroot Carrot Tomato Soup, Beetroot and Tomato Rasam(South Indian style soup), Aloo Beans and Beetroot Subzi

Recipe Card for Air Fryer Falafel

Do try these delicious Middle Eastern healthy Falafel in Air Fryer, loaded with goodness of beetroot. You are surely going to make these again and again for your get togethers, evening snack or lunch boxes.

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