Falafel Naan Wraps with Golden Rice and Special Sauce.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Falafel Naan Wraps with Golden Rice and Special Sauce.
Homemade, veggie filled falafel, combined with turmeric infused golden rice, all stuffed inside fresh naan and topped with a "special" sauce. A fun, delicious, and different weeknight dinner!
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
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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!
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Hi Tieghan – I’ve never made falafel but I’m going to give this a whirl! We roast chick peas for snacks here constantly so I’m sure it will go over well. Last night I was scanning the guide on TV, saw that snowboarding was on thinking maybe I would see Red – and he was the first person I saw! Great run! Funny coincidence!
Ah that is so amazing you looked for him! So proud of that kid! Thank you Maura! xTieghan
I want to make this, especially after making the last naan recipe. Delicious. Yes, to a chicken version.
These are the recipes of yours I love the most. The ones that are a bit more involved and very interesting and always tasty and worth the effort.
Thank you Joyce! xTieghan
Oh my, this looks delicious and I love that you have added veggies to the falafe mixl! I am looking forward to making this but because of dietary restrictions, I need to know how many falafel balls are made with this recipe using the teaspoon size that you reference. Can you give me an idea of how many are created and what you consider a single portion? Thanks so much.
Hi there! this will make 16-18 falafels. I am unsure of a serving, but I would guess about 4 balls. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Everything about this recipe is awesome. The falafel, the golden rice, and the special sauce. I’ve never actually made falafel before but your’s seems quite easy and flavorful. I’ll have to try it. It’s so nice how you changed up the special sauce to make it more healthy. Such a perfect alternative. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you Linger! I hope you try this one! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I really look forward to trying the golden rice. We eat a lot of brown rice and it gets a little boring. I was trying to figure out what to make with the ground lamb I have thawed in the fridge. I will try a variation of this recipe with lamb meatballs. Thanks! ?
Thank you so much Carolynn! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
Looks great! Do you find there is a difference between using canned chickpeas and making them fresh? Also can you cook falafel in the air fryer? Thanks!
HI! I pretty much always use canned! I don’t really see a difference. I have not tested these in the air fryer. I am sure it will be great though! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
i love this a unique naan wraps…… Truly it’s delish!! I can eat more Naan in this way……Thanku so much.
Thank you so much! xTieghan
I love these wraps and your naan looks perfect!
Thank you so much Laura! I am so glad you like this! xTieghan
Hi, Any chance these can be made in an air fryer or oven instead of deep fry?
HI! You can do both, though I have not tested the recipe for either. I would start with the air fryer and see how that goes. I feel like that might work great! I find falafel dry out in the oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe is not vegan. The rice – “add BUTTER”. Plus Greek YOGURT and HONEY. Please re-educate yourself on what “vegan” is.
Hi Di! I am so sorry about that. It slipped my mind that I put butter in the rice as well. I was just trying to say that my brother would not eat it because it does not have any meat. Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy my blog and recipes! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing. For a chicken version I wonder if replacing the falafels with your butter chicken meatballs would work? And perhaps raita in place of the special sauce. I shall try it!
Sounds like it would be great! I hope you love this Sandy! Thank you! xTieghan
Any recipe alternations for altitude? – baking from 5,280 feet.
Hi Elyse! You should be fine making the recipes as is! Please let me know if you have any more questions though! xTieghan
Made this last night (subbed Bob’s Redmill GF flour) and it was awesome. Everyone loved it.
I am so happy to hear that Meredith! Thank you! xTieghan
I finally got around to making this recipe tonight and it was amazing! The only other times I’ve made falafel at home, I’ve used a box mix which of course just doesn’t compare to using fresh ingredients. I doubled the recipe so I would have left overs; used two cans of chickpeas, one bunch each of fresh parsley and cilantro, tablespoon fresh oregano, 1/2 c. cauliflower, 1/3 c. broccoli and one large carrot (along with the other ingredients) and found that the vegetables, herbs and beans all balanced each other out nicely. Next time I just need to remember to double the special sauce as well because it was delicious!
Thank you so much Jessica! I agree, fresh ones are SO much better tasting, and I am so glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
I did it, made homemade naan! It is time consuming, but very doable. For my first batch, it was pretty darn good, but definitely need to roll dough very thin as directed. Loved this whole recipe, wasn’t ever a big fan of falafel, but I am now. The whole shebang (with homemade naan) took about 3 hours. Try it, you won’t be disappointed…..
I am so glad you loved this Marie! Thank you!! xTieghan
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
If I doubled my falafel mixture can I freeze it. And should I do it before or after cooked?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
Truly super simple and and easy to make. Must try recipe
Yes! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi there. I am going to be making this in a couple of days. I have some carrots in the fridge so will use those for the falafel. What veg did you use in your recipe above and/or, do you have any favorite veg that you like to use for this?
Thanks!
Laura
Hi Laura! I use a mix of mostly carrots and cauliflower. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This looks delish! Do you think I I could make the falafel in an air fryer?
Hi Corinne!! I am sure the air fryer will work so well. Great idea!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This recipe was well liked by my family. The falafel was quick to fry up. The only thing we didn’t like was the special sauce, it didn’t seem to go well together.. the apple cider vinegar and honey stuck out way too much. Once in the wrap you couldn’t notice it as much but I chose to use a harissa spread instead with cucumber.
Hi Kate! I am really glad you enjoyed these wraps! If you have any questions on the sauce, please let me know! Would love to make it better for you! xTieghan
It can’t be “completely vegan” if you use butter.
Hi Tieghan, Thanks so much for the recipe. I have a question, to avoid using canned chick peas.. after soaking the garbanzo beans, do I cook them and then fry? or I can simply grind after soaking and fry?
HI there! I would recommend cooking the beans, then frying them. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi ! Could you used cooked veggies for this or do you only suggest raw ? I have a lot of frozen veggies to utilize !
Hi Leanne,
You could totally use cooked veggies in this. I hope you love the recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight for my husband and I and we LOVED it! Everything from the golden rice (yum!) to the falafel were delicious. I originally was going to bake the falafel but I’m glad I read your note about frying them because they were the best falafel I’ve ever made. Thank you!!
Hi Susan! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Do you think brown rice would work for this recipe? Just increase the water/time? Thx
Hi Sara,
Yes, that will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This!!! Omg. I made this recipe tonight for my family and everyone literally lost their mind over how perfect and delicious this recipe is. I added a slaw with cabbage, romaine, carrots & tomatoes with tahini lemon dressing AND I used fresh grated turmeric to the rice because I didn’t have any ground turmeric. powder.
The naan was epic, the falafel perfection, the secret sauce was the perfect addition, and the rice was flawless. My husband says it was in his top ten meals ever. I only set the smoke alarm off twice making the naan! (Lol)
You are a visionary.
Everyone: make this!!
Thank you so much Shelly! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is another fantastic recipe! Yes, it does take a little bit of time to prepare but it is WORTH IT! Every dish – golden rice, falafel, special sauce – is just delicious even on its own. I especially like that the special sauce as it is not too garlicky compared to tzatziki recipes.
This was the first time I made naan myself and it turned out great. I used my griddle for the final step. We will always make homemade naan from now on – it is just sooo much better.
We have been trying out quite a few of your recipes lately and the whole family is super happy. Thank you!
Thank you Kris!! So glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to love other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was SO delicious and actually really simple to make. I followed to a tee with the exception of not serving with naan – only because it’s quarantine and we’ve been eating carbs on carbs around here so trying to conserve “energy” (I already made, and ate the whole batch, or your garlic butter naan). The falafel dough was one of the cleanest and easiest to work with I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much as always Tieghan!
Hi Jessica! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it!! xTieghan
Oh my stars. We made this last night and it was amazing. I’m not sure how you continually come up with all of these delicious recipes, but this one is definitely a winner. It is a little time consuming (it took me just under two hours from start to finish), but we have nothing but time right now and dinner is often the highlight of the day during these times of corona! All five kids (7-16) devoured it and there were definitely no leftovers. This naan recipe was the best I’ve ever attempted. Roll it thin and then roll it one more time – the thinnest ones turned out incredible! I didn’t do the extra herbs on the naan, but it was still delicious. Thank you for all of the yumminess on your site! I’m about to meal plan for the next week and guess where I’m starting!:)
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Amanda!! Thank you for trying it! I hope you love all of the recipes you try from my site! xTieghan
I just made this tonight and it was a hit! My hubby prefers meat with dinner but he loved this meal! I used carrots as the veggie in the falafels because it’s all I had on hand. I airfried them—2 batches, 375 degrees for 15 mins. They turned out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside! The rice was super simple and delicious. The sauce is yummy too! Give this one a try! Thanks for the recipes!!
Thank you so much for trying them, Chantel! I hope you continue to love my recipes! xTieghan
Terrible recipe. Everything fell apart in the pan. Full – AWFUL.
Hi Katie! I am sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can help with? Or anything you could have missed in the recipe? xTieghan
The only way to achieve happiness is to cherish what you have and forget what you don’t have
Thank you! xTieghan
I like this recipe. amazing
Thank you so much Rahul! 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
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
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
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 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
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
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