Falafel Fried Rice Bowl with Lemony Tahini and Cucumber-Parsley Salad

Name: Falafel Fried Rice Bowl with Lemony Tahini and Cucumber-Parsley Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ¼ cup (60 g) tahini, well stirred; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced to a paste; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 1 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) cucumber, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cup, packed (30 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; divided in half; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 12 balls (about 12 oz) (340 g) cooked falafel balls, fully cooked, thawed if frozen; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tablespoons, then 1 tablespoon; 1 medium (150 g) red onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground coriander; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground turmeric; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground allspice; 4 cups (620 g) cooked long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine), cold, day-old, clumps broken up with your fingers; 1 cup (130 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw; 4 whole (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens kept together; ¾ teaspoon (4½ g) fine salt, divided: a pinch for the salad, the rest for the rice, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ teaspoon (1 g) sumac (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp falafel, spiced day-old rice, sweet carrots and peas are stir-fried together, then piled into bowls with a cool cucumber-parsley salad and a pourable lemon-tahini sauce. It's a fast, filling vegan weeknight dinner that uses ready-made falafel.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Makes: 4 generous bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the lemony tahini sauce
¼ cup (60 g) tahini, well stirred
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced to a paste
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
For the cucumber-parsley salad
1 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) cucumber, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup, packed (30 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; divided in half
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
For the fried rice
12 balls (about 12 oz) (340 g) cooked falafel balls, fully cooked, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tablespoons, then 1 tablespoon
1 medium (150 g) red onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
3 cloves (9 g) garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground coriander
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground allspice
4 cups (620 g) cooked long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine), cold, day-old, clumps broken up with your fingers
1 cup (130 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw
4 whole (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens kept together
¾ teaspoon (4.5 g) fine salt, divided: a pinch for the salad, the rest for the rice, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
To finish
½ teaspoon (1 g) sumac (optional)

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or carbon-steel skillet, or a large wok
Small mixing bowl and whisk or fork
Medium mixing bowl
Wide spatula or wok spatula
Plate lined with paper towels
Cutting board and chef's knife

Steps

Before you start

Use cold, day-old cooked rice. To make it fresh, cook about 1⅓ cups (260 g) uncooked long-grain rice, spread it on a tray, and refrigerate it uncovered for at least 2 hours. Freshly cooked warm rice turns mushy when stir-fried.
Thaw frozen falafel in the fridge, or use fresh falafel from a deli. Use fully cooked falafel that only needs re-crisping. Raw falafel mix is not suitable for this recipe.
Chop everything before you turn on the heat. The stir-fry moves quickly once the rice goes in.
Tahini separates in the jar, so stir it thoroughly before measuring.

1
Whisk tahini sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, grated garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- It will seize into a thick paste at first.
- Whisk in 3 tablespoons cold water, then keep whisking until smooth.
- Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons water, a little at a time, until the sauce is pourable like heavy cream.
- Taste and add more salt or lemon if you like.
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Ready when: Smooth, pale and pourable, thick enough to coat a spoon
Tip: The sauce thickens as it sits, so thin it with a splash of water just before serving if needed.
2
Toss the salad
- In a medium bowl, combine the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, half of the chopped parsley (about ½ cup), 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Toss and set aside while you cook.
- Keep the remaining parsley for the rice.
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Ready when: Vegetables are glistening and evenly coated
Tip: Don't salt the salad earlier than this or the cucumber will release water and turn the bowl soggy.
3
Prep the stir-fry
- Dice the onion and carrot, mince the garlic, slice the scallions, and measure the cumin, coriander, turmeric and allspice into one small pile.
- Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers so every grain is separate.
- Line a plate with paper towels.
- Have the peas and falafel within reach of the stove.
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Ready when: Rice grains are loose and no clumps remain
Tip: Cut the carrot and onion to the same small size so they cook at the same speed.
4
Crisp the falafel
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Add the falafel in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until deeply browned and crisp on all sides.
- Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.
- When cool enough to handle, break each ball in half with your hands, so the rough crumbly edges can crisp up in the rice.
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Ready when: Falafel are dark golden-brown, crisp to the touch and hot through the center
Tip: Resist moving them constantly. Let each side sit for a couple of minutes so a crust forms and they don't fall apart.
5
Soften the vegetables
- Leave the oil in the pan (add a splash if it looks dry) and keep the heat at medium-high.
- Add the onion and carrot with the black pepper and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for 4 minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrot is just tender.
- Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric and allspice and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent, carrot is tender-crisp, and the spices smell warm and toasty
Tip: If the spices begin to darken or smell bitter, lower the heat right away. They burn in seconds.
6
Fry the rice
- Turn the heat to high.
- Push the vegetables to the sides, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the center, then add the rice.
- Sprinkle with the remaining salt (about ½ teaspoon).
- Spread the rice into an even layer and let it sit untouched for 1 minute so the bottom toasts, then stir and toss.
- Repeat for 5 to 6 minutes total, until the rice is steaming hot and golden-yellow from the turmeric, with some grains lightly crisped.
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Ready when: Rice is piping hot throughout, evenly yellow, with separate grains that sound slightly crackly in the pan
Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan. If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, fry the rice in two batches for better browning.
7
Combine and finish
- Add the frozen peas, scallions and the falafel halves to the rice.
- Toss for 2 minutes until the peas are bright green and hot, and the falafel is warmed through.
- Stir in the remaining chopped parsley.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
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Ready when: Peas are bright green and tender and the falafel pieces are hot and still crisp
Tip: Fold gently at this stage so the falafel stays in chunks rather than turning into crumbs.
8
Assemble the bowls
- Divide the fried rice among 4 bowls.
- Spoon the cucumber-parsley salad alongside, and drizzle generously with the tahini sauce.
- Sprinkle with sumac, if using.
- Serve immediately while the rice is hot and the falafel is still crisp.
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Tip: Serve extra tahini sauce at the table, since the rice soaks it up quickly.

Good to know

Tips

Cold, dry rice is the key to fried rice that doesn't clump. The grains lose surface moisture in the fridge and fry rather than steam.
Let the rice sit undisturbed for 30 to 60 seconds between stirs so it toasts and picks up a wok-style flavor.
Add the falafel back at the very end. If it cooks with the rice too long it softens and loses its crisp edges.
For heat, drizzle with hot sauce or stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of harissa into the pan with the spices.

Make ahead

Cook and refrigerate the rice up to 2 days ahead. Make the tahini sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Whisk in a splash of water before serving. Chop the salad vegetables up to 1 day ahead, but add the lemon juice and salt only just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Store the fried rice, salad and sauce in separate airtight containers. Refrigerate the rice for up to 3 days and the salad for up to 1 day. The sauce keeps up to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze the fried rice (without salad or sauce) for up to 2 months. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of oil for 3 to 4 minutes, or microwave covered for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring halfway, until steaming. Leave cooked rice at room temperature for no more than 1 hour.

Substitutions

cooked falafel balls → Baked chickpea patties or crispy roasted chickpeas (2 cans, 15 oz/425 g each, drained and dried). Roasted chickpeas will be crunchier and smaller. Skip the halving step and add them at the end.
tahini → Unsweetened plain yogurt (¼ cup/60 g) or a smooth cashew or sunflower seed butter. Yogurt makes a tangier sauce, though it's no longer vegan. Thin with water as needed.
cooked long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine) → Cooked quinoa or bulgur (4 cups/620 g). Both work well cold. Bulgur needs less browning time, so fry for about 3 to 4 minutes.
fresh flat-leaf parsley → Fresh cilantro or mint, or a mix of the two. Mint is bright and cooling. Use half as much because it is stronger.