Curried Chickpea Burgers

Recipe: Curried Chickpea Burgers

I love chickpeas, and when I’ve cooked up a bag of dried ones, I can hardly keep from snacking on them, still warm, because they are just so good! So when I saw this recipe on Holler’s blog, I was intrigued. I’ve made falafel many times, and this seemed like a similar recipe, but with a decidedly Indian twist. I did make some changes to her recipe, but they are small ones and I give Holler full credit for this-- it's great!

Both Jack and I loved these chickpea burgers, stuffed inside pita with lettuce and tomato. It did take a bit of time to put together, including at least 15 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator to firm up the patties before cooking, but they were well worth it. I put together a sauce to serve them with because I cannot seem to find a brand of pita which doesn’t taste dry, and will play with the ingredients in this next time (perhaps adding a little lemon juice), but all in all, these chickpea burgers were good enough to go on our regular summer lunch rotation.

Because I used small pitas, halved, I formed the patties in smaller ovals instead of larger burgers which would be used in the big pitas or on a sandwich bun.

Oops, took the photo before adding the tomatoes...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Curried Chickpea Burgers

Recipe By: Holler

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 slice whole wheat bread

1 1/2 ounces cashews

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole

3 ounces onion

1 small carrot

1 small celery rib

1 large garlic clove

4 ounces chickpeas, canned -- half of a 14-1/2 ounce can, drained

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon biryani curry paste -- Patak's brand, Biryani Curry paste with Cilantro and Cumin (medium heat)

1 large egg white

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 small garlic clove -- crushed

1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder

2 small whole wheat pita, small

In a small food processor or blender, whirl the slice of bread until fine crumbs form. Remove to a medium bowl. Add the cashews to the processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add to the bread crumbs. Add the cilantro and pulse until chopped.

Add to the cashews and bread crumbs, set bowl aside.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables until soft (about 4 minutes). Remove to a plate and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Add the chickpeas to the food processor and pulse a few times to chop a bit. Add the lemon juice, egg white, and curry paste and process until mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the bread crumbs and cashews and stir until blended. Form into 4 patties and place on a plate; refrigerate for 15 minutes to 1 hour.

In a medium skillet, spread 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over the bottom. Heat over medium heat until hot, add the patties and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until browned on the other side.

While the burgers cook, mix the yogurt, garlic, and curry powder in a small cup. Add cayenne or other hot pepper to taste, if desired.

Serve burgers in pita with sauce. Add garnishes such as chopped tomatoes, lettuce, etc. as desired.

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Per serving: 501 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (3g saturated); (24% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 80g Carbohydrate; 1mg Cholesterol; 781mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates