Today we’re reviving the classic falafel recipe and giving it a fun Indian makeover with mung beans instead of chickpeas. It’s a flavorful alternative, perfect if you like something different than the traditional donuts, but just as delicious!
Mung beans are tiny green beans, also known as green gram or mongoose. They are widely used in South and Southeast Asia, particularly in Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, and Filipino cuisines.
Compared to chickpeas, mung beans are smaller and have a nuttier, sweeter flavor. They also cook faster and have a less crumbly texture.
You may not know it, but people in India already have their own version of falafel. It’s called vada or vadai: small, fried bean patties flavored with spices and herbs like curry, masala and coriander.
Instead, classic Egyptian falafel are bite-sized balls of chickpea batter made with ground chickpeas, fresh parsley, cumin, and garlic. These little bites are fried until browned and crispy, then served with warm flatbread and tahini sauce.
Our mung bean falafel are a delicious mix of these two recipes: spherical fritters made from mung bean paste with fresh coriander and curry powder, plus sesame seeds and garlic. So good!
For classic falafels, you’ll need to soak the chickpeas overnight, knead them into a coarse batter, and shape them into balls before frying.
Instead, in our recipe, we turned things on their head to make it easier, faster, and healthier!
How? Simply soak the mung beans for 2-3 hours and simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Then puree the beans with the other ingredients into a paste, form the falafel and bake in the oven until golden brown.
Baked instead of fried, these homemade bean falafels are super healthy and low in fat. They are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, lightly seasoned and aromatic.
Now it’s time to gather the ingredients and prepare these delicious mung bean balls together. The recipe is so easy, you’ll be munching on these treats in no time!
And if you want to try another delicious mung bean recipe then check out these Vegan Mung Bean Burger, Chinese Sweet Mung Bean Soup and Mung Bean Curry Puffs!