If you are a carnivore or a former carnivore, the words “chickpea”
and “burger” just don’t belong in the same sentence. That is simply because you haven’t had a
chickpea burger. I can tell you that
when it is prepared correctly, the chickpea burger is the most amazing burger on the planet. Yes… it is that good and it can hold its own
against the beef, turkey and chicken burgers.
Let’s get into this recipe and get you on your way to a better
appreciation of the chickpea!!
Take a look at the two
pictures above. This is what the chickpea
burgerse looked like before they were cooked.
The one on the left was made without using whole grain oats. The one on the right was made with whole
grain oats and a touch of coconut milk.
Both have tumeric in them, as well as onions, garlic, soybeans,
mushrooms, carrots, green and red peppers and herbs and spices. When I first started making these, I made
them much like a falafel burger but as time went on, they evolved, and I
believe you just can’t go wrong when you make the chickpea burger. Also, not sure if I mentioned this, these do
not have egg in them. Which was totally
cool, because I didn’t have any eggs in the house at the time and we’d just
gotten hit with a snow storm. So, just so you know, you can make these with or
without eggs and they turn out amazing! However, if you choose to use eggs or
egg whites, please do not eat the batter until you’ve cooked the burger.
And
voila!!!
This is the finished product!! Believe it or not, they sort of remind me of
salmon croquettes or even crab cakes when it comes to consistency. The best advice that I can give you is – and
I’m speaking from experience here – refrigerate your chickpea burger patties
prior to frying them. So, as soon as you
prepare the mixture and form it into patties cover them with wax or parchment
paper (or if you’ve run out of wax paper like I did above -then grab some tin
foil) and place them in the fridge for just about 15-30 minutes. It makes frying easier and they won’t fall
apart in the pan! Also…there was
something else that I wanted to add, but since I’m having a senior moment, I
will somehow remember it prior to the end of this post. But for now, let’s get this show on the
road! Here’s the recipe.
Ok home chefs….
We’re looking at a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time
of 10 minutes (this does not include that additional 15-30mins of burger chill
time).
Keep in mind that you can get all of these ingredients
inexpensively at your local international (Asian, Middle Eastern or Spanish)
supermarkets. You can get the spices in
bulk at your local grocery story or online. My secret savings stores are
Wegmans and the Great Wall Supermarket!
I love, love, love Wegmans and I just can’t get enough of the Great Wall
especially for produce!!!
Anywho…back to the recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) *Or if you’re a bean pro – you’ll know how to soak those suckers and pre-cook them for burger preparation. I’m no bean pro, so I’m cheating!
- Your favorite buns or bread
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 cup whole grain organic oats (optional)
- 4 small cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp of coriander (if you use is dry – this is optional)
- 1 ½ cup of fresh breadcrumbs *Suggestion: You can make these burgers gluten free by omitting the breadcrumbs.
- 1 medium sized onion (red, yellow or white) chopped *Suggestion: You can always use green onions in addition to or instead of the red, yellow or white onion.
- ¾ cup diced zucchini
- ¾ cup mushrooms sliced and diced ( you can use button, but we use shitake)
- ¼ cup fresh red pepper chopped
- ¼ cup fresh green pepper chopped
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Jar of coconut oil or a bottle of extra virgin olive oil (you won’t use that much of it but you should have it within arm’s reach)
- ½ tsp Applewood Smoked sea salt
- 1 tsp Hungarian or Smoked paprika *Suggestion: The Applewood Smoked Sea Salt provides a robust smoked flavor. To balance it out with the rest of the ingredients we use the Hungarian Paprika because it is a bit sweeter. However, if you want a yummy, smokehouse flavor throughout, rock on with the Smoked Paprika – it works like a dream!
Prep:
- If you have a food processor then you can put all of the ingredients in there and whiz away – however you should make sure that the batter is not smooth. Consistency is a necessity. If you do not have a food processor then you can mash the beans by hand.
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
- Dump them on a plate or cutting board and mash them with a fork.
- Placed the mashed beans in a large bowl.
- Add breadcrumbs, oats and herbs, sea salt and spices to the bowl.
- Sauté your veggies (green and red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and onions) in a small frying pan with 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
- Add the sautéed veggies to the mashed beans, bread crumbs, oats, herbs and spices.
- Mix with your hands.
- If you find that the breadcrumbs are too coarse in the mix, add a few tablespoons of coconut milk to soften.
- Form the mixture into 4-6 patties.
- Place patties on a plate and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
Cook:
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan until it is hot.
- Remove your burgers from the fridge and place them in the heated frying pan.
- Fry the burgers for just about 4-5 minutes per side. If you’re using coconut oil you’ll want to keep that burner turned down two notches below medium so that your burgers won’t burn.
- Place them on a bun and you’re done!
Yummy and healthy chickpea burgers will always get the EP
stamp of approval!!!
