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Street Food Tuesday, Falafel Naan Wraps with Golden Rice and Special Sauce. Homemade, veggie filled falafel, combined with turmeric infused golden rice, all stuffed inside fresh naan. The naan is then topped with lettuce, cucumber, and the most addicting “special” sauce…that just so happens to be way healthier than the original. This loaded street food style wrap is SO GOOD, and makes for a fun, delicious, and different weeknight dinner!
You guys remember a couple of weeks ago when I shared this herbed garlic naan? Well, as you can guess, I’m very obsessed with that recipe. Naan is one of the few recipes that I make over and over again, at least once a week. No exaggeration.
Here’s the thing. I only made the herbed garlic naan to use for these wraps. I needed a sturdy, but delicious flatbread that would hold rice, falafel, and toppings. Normally, I might just pick something up from the store, but our grocery store really does not have the best selection when it comes to bread. Since I can make naan so easily, I never buy it from the store…
Well…there was that one time last week…but I whole heartedly regretted it.
Anyway, as I was making the naan, I decided I’d also share the new naan recipe with you guys. So first came the herbed garlic naan, then the naan grilled cheese, and now, finally, the falafel naan wraps. All spaced a week apart, very purposely, so as to not overwhelm you with naan recipes. Not that, that would be a bad thing, but you know, balance is always good!
I’m going to start out by saying that this is not one of my crazy simple recipes. BUT it’s also not hard. It’s just has some steps, some layers of flavor, and yeah, it will take more than 30 minutes. I know this is not ideal for every night of the week, but again, balance.
First up, the rice. GOLDEN RICE, I’m all about some golden rice. It’s simple. Just melt a little butter, add in some turmeric and crushed red pepper, add in the rice and water, and let it all slowly steam. And there you have it – golden rice!
Next, the falafel. I used my base recipe that I always use, but swapped carrots for cauliflower. You can honestly use whatever veggie you have on hand. Just use one that’s not made up of all water. I recommend carrots, cauliflower, or broccoli. The falafel is really easy to make, but you do need a food processor for best results.
Once the falafel is made, it’s time to fry. Now, before everyone asks, yes, you could bake these, but frying is much, much better. Every time I’ve baked falafel, they just turn out caked and dry, so I find the time in the oil is worth it.
For the “special” sauce, I like use plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo. I’m just not really a big fan of mayo. I also love tangy greek yogurt and always find it makes for an extra delicious sauce.
Put this all together with some fresh naan (or pita, you can use whatever is most convenient for you), and you’ll have yourself a street style naan wrap. Not too hard, right? And trust me, all the effort that went into making these wraps is 120% worth it.
Every bite is so good, so full of flavor, and layered with texture. My kind of food.
You know the funny thing about these wraps? They were inspired by my oldest brother, Creighton. He loves Middle Eastern street food and has been telling me to make something like this for so long, but with chicken, not falafel.
Creighton would never eat this wrap because it’s completely vegan (minus the yogurt sauce). Maybe my next recipe will be a chicken wrap?
Hmmm, ideas are spinning…
For now, it’s all falafel and I am loving it.
If you make this falafel naan wrap, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Falafel Naan Wraps with Golden Rice and Special Sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1273 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Golden Rice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup long grain rice
Falafel
- 1 cup chopped veggies, such as carrots, cauliflower, or broccoli
- 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Use a gluten free flour, if needed
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, parsley, or oregano
- kosher salt and black pepper
- canola or vegetable oil, for frying
- 6 fresh naan or pitas, warmed
- shredded lettuce, cucumbers, and harissa sauce, for serving
Special Sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated (use 2 if you love garlic)
Instructions
- 1. To make the rice. Melt the butter, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium pot over high heat. Add the rice and toss to coat. Stir in 2 cups water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely. Let the rice sit, covered, for another 15 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). Fluff the rice with a fork. 2. To make the falafel. Add the veggies to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, flour, sesame seeds, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is combined and mostly smooth. Roll the dough into rounded teaspoon size balls.3. Add a few inches of oil to the bottom of a heavy pot. Heat to 375 degrees F. Fry the balls for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain onto paper towels and then sprinkle lightly with salt.4. To make the special sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adding 1-2 tablespoons water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and season with salt.5. To assemble, stuff the rice into the wraps and top with lettuce, falafels, and cucumber. Drizzle the special sauce and harissa over the falafels. Enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight with my 17 year old son. Only change was to add a little ground coriander to the falafel. They were delicious and the while meal came together in about half an hour with the two of us working! I wanted to take a picture but as expected, the falafel were gone before I got to it. I’m now fully convinced that your recipes are meant to feed hungry teenage boys. Every one I’ve tried has hit the spot with them. I will have to buy your books and send him off to college with them when the time comes! Forgot to rate the recipe as a five star in my first attempt! Sorry!
Made this for dinner tonight with my 17 year old son. Only change was to add a little ground coriander to the falafel. They were delicious and the while meal came together in about half an hour with the two of us working! I wanted to take a picture but as expected, the falafel were gone before I got to it. I’m now fully convinced that your recipes are meant to feed hungry teenage boys. Every one I’ve tried has hit the spot with them. I will have to buy your books and send him off to college with them when the time comes!
Yes that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you all enjoyed this recipe Dana! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, wondering if it is just cauliflower you used as a base for the falafel, or you mixed all the veggies? Thanks, Olivia
Hi Olivia! I love to use a mix of cauliflower and carrots. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. I definitely plan on making this since it looks awesome and I love any excuse to make naan. Question? Do you think I could make up the falafel the night before and then all I have to do is fry them up when I’m ready. Or will they dry out?
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Yes, I think making the falafel the night before, then frying the next day will work well. Great idea!! Just be sure cover them and keep in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Do the veggie need to be cooked before adding to the falafel mix or should they be raw? Love all of your recipes… you’re my go- to for a delicious meal!
Hi Rachel!! Leave the veggies raw. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I suggest Creighton watch the movie “The Game Changers” and he will see the crazy gains elite athletes are making when they go vegan!:)
Haha wow! I will definitely mention that one to him! Thank you so much Anne! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
These look great & right in line with my family’s less meat in 2020 goals. I am wondering how critical the sesame seeds are in recipe as I am allergic. Skip altogether or sub amount with something else? Thanks for sharing all your hard work. Loving your latest cookbook!
Julie
Hi Julie! You can leave the sesame seeds out. No big deal. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi, I would love to try this recipe, but you mentioned the best results come from using a food processor. I don’t have one. Could you suggest another method for making the falafel?
HI! Do you have a blender? If you have a blender, us that. I am sorry to say that if you do not have a blender or food processor you really can’t make this recipes. You’ll need to grind the ingredients up to make the Falafel. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hey I just discovered your blog and I love everything I see. Thinking about rice from a Mediterranean and Middle East perspective there’s a method they use in turkey for rice I’ve enjoyed making it is quite similar to this once you put butter and spices and adding a couple table spoons of olive oil too frying the rice for a good couple minutes before adding water to kind of roast it then putting in the water bring it to a boil then cover it with a kitchen towel and the pan lid taking it off the burner and let sit for 30 mins. It makes the perfect rice every time.
Ooo I will try this! Thank you so much Maggie! xTieghan
Oh my goodness. This recipe (and literally every other hbh recipe I’ve tried). There aren’t words. This is so easy (albeit time-consuming for a weeknight dinner, but definitely worth it) and so so good. There’s so much flavor that even my meat-loving husband wanted seconds of this vegetarian dish! I’ve now made this dish twice this week, along with her homemade naan!
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
We made this last night and I had leftovers for lunch today – seriously SOOO good. Next time we want to make our own naan. We’ve pretty much only been having HBH recipes for dinner (and margaritas) for a few months now. Thank you!
So amazing!! Thank you so much Nicole! xTieghan
The falafels look so freaking DELICIOUS. I have to try them out myself! Naan is one of my favorite breads, but I consume roti because it’s whole wheat and it’s guaranteed to be vegan. I’ll just be sure to use a mix of whole wheat flour and vegan butter if I recreate this dish!
Thank you so much Cassie! xTieghan
These were sooo good! My only complaint was that I didn’t have a larger food processor. I had to do it in batches but it was well worth it. So fresh and flavourful. I had issues frying them (maybe because I tried doing it with less oil than you called for), so I ended up baking them on parchment at 400 for a few minutes and that worked really well. I didn’t get around to making it on rice, so I just served it on store bought naan with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and lots of sauce and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I am glad you still made this and it turned out amazing Laurel! Thank you! xTieghan
If I doubled my falafel mixture can I freeze it. And should I do it before or after cooked?
could you use olive oil to fry too??
HI! Yes, you can use olive oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan