A modern twist on classic falafel: soaked chickpeas blended with fresh spinach and boiled potato for a softer, greener patty — fried until golden and served with tahini.
Spinach and potato falafel is a modern take on the classic, found in modern-kitchen restaurants.
The potato softens the dough and gives a tender body; the spinach adds color and nutritional value. Suhoor shifts from dry falafel to smooth falafel.
Drain the chickpeas that have been soaked for 12 hours and dry them completely. Moisture prevents the falafel from shaping. Grind them in a food processor until they become like a coarse dough.
Add the chopped spinach, mashed potato, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and spices. Knead by hand until everything is mixed. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.
Wet your hands and shape small patties the size of a walnut. Add the baking soda and stir. The baking soda gives a light puff.
In a deep pan, heat the oil to 170°C and fry the patties for 3–4 minutes until they turn golden. Lift them out onto absorbent paper.
Pour the falafel onto a plate and serve with Arabic bread, a vegetable salad, and tahini.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Spinach and Potato Falafel, and how to fix them:
The dough is dry. Add a spoon of water and knead. Too much moisture makes it split.
The oil is too hot. Lower it to 160°C. Fry in batches.
Make the patties smaller or grind the chickpeas finer. Patty size matters for cooking through.
Double the cumin and add an extra spoon of dried coriander.
Two days after cooking. Reheat in the oven, not the microwave.
Two months. Freeze raw and fry directly from the freezer.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| potato | sweet potato | 150 g | Sweeter flavor and higher nutritional value. |
| spinach | Swiss chard | 100 g | Deeper flavor. |
| ground wheat | split chickpeas | 100 g | More puffy version. |
| Ingredient | 4 people | 8 people | 12 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas | 250 g | 500 g | 750 g |
| Spinach | 100 g | 200 g | 300 g |
| Potato | 150 g | 300 g | 450 g |
| Onion | 70 g | 140 g | 210 g |
Soak the chickpeas for a full 12 hours with a pinch of baking soda. Long soaking makes grinding easier and gives a deeper flavor. Never use canned chickpeas for falafel.
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