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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!
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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.
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’ve always wanted to make homemade falafel and this recipe was perfectly simple and they turned out great! I couldn’t find Harissa sauce but it still tasted really yummy without it. The special sauce was delish, I should have doubled the recipe! Next time Im going to make the homemade naan too!
Hey Kelly,
Perfect!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and appreciate you giving it a try! xxTieghan
Really delicious, straightforward and easily substitutable (if that’s a word!) The sauce is a must, as it’s really flavoursome. Also I used just cauliflower in the falafel but they weren’t as tasty as I would’ve like, so next time I would use carrots and/or broccoli as well. Also I only used about 1 inch oil in the pan and it worked fine and still made lovely crispy falafel!
Hey Corryn,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xxT
Yum!! So glad you have a falafel recipe. I’m making this tomorrow!
I hope you love the recipe Heidi!
I was craving falafels and ran across this! This recipe is amazing, they came out so good! I decided to make them bigger than the recipe calls to have them be extra juicy on the inside. I had to fry them for a bit longer because of this and it was great!
Hi Winny,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
If I wanted to bake or air fry these – any tips on temp/timing?
Hey April,
So sorry, I have never tried these in the air fryer, so I am unsure on temp/time. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
How many falafels does this make? I’m making for 4 people and I’m thinking I should double the recipe? Excited to try this!
Hey Hannah,
This should make about 16-18 falafel. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely Loved it. I finally tried your recipe for the naan bread which turned out sooo good!! Besides, the rice was perfection, the sauce really delicious and for me it was a really fun recipe because I could try out so much new stuff and everything worked great.
I was a bit nervous about frying the falafel balls, but no problem here either. Thank you for this great ensemble of food, I’m definitely doing it some more times 🙂
Hey Camille,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Could you make the falafel mixture the day before, refrigerate, and then cook next day? Would love to make these through the week but for time saving it may be easier to do the prep the night before. Thank you!
Hey Meaghan,
Yes, I think that will work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is my new favorite falafel recipe. So delicious and it has sneaked in veggies. It held together well, tasted great and the sauce was outstanding.
Thank you for another great recipe
Hey Dawn,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
HI – I have cooked your recipes almost exclusively since the end of March. My young adult children and I are obsessed – you are very talented. Question – I’ve made the falafel from your simple book which is similar to this one. Can I use an air fryer? I hate frying and was thinking maybe you’d tried?
Thanks!
Hey Sandra,
Thanks so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes! Unfortunately I do not own an air fryer so I am unsure of the results. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This whole meal was delicious. The veggies in the falafel tasted so good! I also made the pita bread from scratch. It was so easy. Definitely a time consumming meal to make it, but so worth it. I almost forgot, the sauce was really good and complimented the falafel nicely.
Thank you for trying this one, Kim! I am so happy it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Another keeper. I have made this dish at least four times now and never any issues. I even mix up the falafel ingredients a couple days before I make them and use a cookie scooper to make balls. The falafel always turns out great and I have used broccoli and carrots and then a combo of the two. The naan is more moist and fussier than my other naan recipe but it is perfect for falafel sandwiches.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Kate! xTieghan
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for months, my husband and I finally made it last night and OH MY GOSHHH. The homemade naan, the perfectly crisp falafel, the golden spicy rice, the cool yogurt sauce, did I mention the homemade naan (droool). This is a little more work than we do for a weekday meal but we will pull this out often for dinner parties/date nights!
Thank you so much Natalie!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I like this recipe. amazing
Thank you so much Rahul! xTieghan
The only way to achieve happiness is to cherish what you have and forget what you don’t have
Thank you! xTieghan