I want to introduce you to my chickpeas burgers. One of my favourite dishes, I always have them in my freezer; it is great to have healthy homemade food available when you might need it. That’s why I decided to share this recipe with you, and I hope you will have fun with your family and friends preparing them. If you want to sample them before you try the recipe, they are on the menu at South West Bistro in Lagos Marina in April.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg dry chickpeas
- 2 big onions
- 8 garlic cloves
- 3 carrots
- 1 cup of sunflower seeds
- 1 bundle parsley
- 1 bundle coriander
- 2 tsp vegetable broth
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chilli
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 2 cups of oatmeal flour
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 300ml water
Preparation
First, soak the chickpeas in the water for 24 hours (making sure they are fully submerged). The next day, cook the chickpeas until they can be crushed with a fork, strain the water and let it cool down. (You can keep some of the water, known as aquafaba, for other recipes, like vegan mayonnaise, or as an addition to soup, sauces and stew or vegan cakes.)
Chop the onions and garlic, peel the carrots and grate them, cut the parsley and coriander very fine and blend the sunflower seeds into powder. Now you can blend the chickpeas and put them into a big bowl, add all the ingredients and spices and mix it well. Then, at last, add the flour and the water and knead the burger mix.
You can form the burgers by hand and get help from the family, or you knead and roll out the burger mix and cut them out with a burger mould or cup. Next, arrange the burgers in a tray, stack up to five to six layers with baking paper between them and put them in the freezer in freezer bags.
Cooking: You can fry the burgers with olive or sunflower oil in a normal pan.
Serve with: You can serve with oven veggies, quinoa, reis, bulgur, sweet potatoes, salad, french fries or sandwich in the bread of your choice.
Tip
Making the burgers takes some effort, so I make a batch and freeze them. With 1.5 kg of dry chickpeas, I prepare 33 burgers of 10 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick, but you can make them larger. The soaked and cooked chickpeas will expand to approximately 3 Kg. Make sure that the bowl is big enough. I have had success with spelt flour but feel free to try another type.
Benefits of chickpeas
Chickpeas are not only great for vegans. Everybody should put chickpeas on their nutrition plan as they provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre and are an excellent source of protein. In addition, chickpeas are low in calories, so they will help maintain your weight. This versatile legume also helps to support blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. The good thing about chickpeas is that they can be used in so many recipes, so they always stay exciting.
Lalitana’s vegan kitchen is available for events and private celebrations. Lita also offers cooking courses.
+351 914 061 143
Instagram: @lalitanavegankitchen
