The new September Vegan Box is FULL of exciting new products to try, and one of the MOST exciting is the Arabian Bites falafel mix in a subtle pumpkin flavour.
This little Aussie business has BIG plans for future growth and expansion and we are here for it!
We spoke to founder and owner, Mona about her business, her purpose and her vision. Here’s what Mona had to say…
Q: Hi Mona, tell us what Arabian Bites are and how they came about…
Arabian Bites came to life after I was made redundant from CSIRO in 2014 and I was always told I make the best falafel so I thought maybe I can do something with this. I found a commercial kitchen that I could work from and my journey started there. I started doing farmers markets and I had a great response from customers. I even won a small business award. I put the business on hold after having my youngest son in 2016 and only recently during Covid I started it again.
I wanted a point of difference to just the standard, original falafel and that’s how the other flavours came about. The different flavours are subtle but with a delicious twist. Arabian Bites falafel are super easy to make – just add one cup hot water, mix well and let sit for 15-20 minutes then shape and fry (or bake). For best results shallow frying works best.
Q: What things were important to you when you started the business in terms of ingredients, packaging, sustainability etc?
The most important thing to me was that I wanted people to have the same taste of falafel at home making it themselves as if they got it from a restaurant. I know people are time poor and it is hard to find tasty, quick, easy, and healthy meals that are ready in under 30 minutes.
It was important that the majority of ingredients are Victorian (I am proud to say that 93-95% of our ingredients are from Wimmera region – North West Victoria).
The packaging also had to be paper based instead of plastic and the tubs used are made from up to 70% recycled material.
Q: What is your favourite Arabian Bite flavour AND how do you enjoy eating it the most? What’s your favourite recipe?
Pumpkin. I enjoy my falafel as smaller balls on a big bowl of salad drizzled with tahini sauce. The men in my house enjoy the falafel in a wrap loaded with a lot of salad and cheese and drizzled with tahini sauce.
Q: What are your plans for Arabian Bites in the future?
I would love to see Arabian Bites expand both nationally and internationally. I would love to grow my product range with meals that are super healthy but quick and convenient.
I have just introduced the tahini sauce because it is the perfect accompaniment to falafel. They are made for each other. In the near future I would also like to add condiments such as zaatar paste and pickled turnips that complement the falafels.
We can confirm that these little bites are indeed delicious and want you to enjoy them as much as we do!
Click here to get your hands on the September box while stocks last!