Meatless Monday: Chickpea Patties with Yogurt Sauce

Chick Pea Patties. They're kind of self explanatory, right? Ok, they're really not, but it seems my creative writing skills seem to be on hiatus at the moment. So sadly, I have no quippy vignette about my life, no cynical musings about the state of our society, no absurd commentary on why I think veganism is quite possibly a cult--I got nothing for you.

Well except for these chickpea patties, of course. And while they were in fact quite tasty, I could never suggest that they are adequate meat replacement, in the way several recipes that I came across during my research called for. I mean, c'mon, veggieheads! Pulverized chickpeas formed into a patty form and served between two pieces of bread does not a burger make. That's just a slap in the face to all the sacrificial cows and corresponding meatheads who reaped the delicious benefits of their sacrifice! I'm just sayin.

But speaking of pulverized chickpeas, I guess I could talk about the fact that I still do not possess a food processor. Do you realize what that means?

It means that I chopped two, 15oz cans of chickpeas by hand. And chopping little round wet chickpeas for the better part of an hour was kind of a miserable experience. F%^#$% horrible!

I really need to get around to ordering the blade for the food processor base I got on freecycle well over a year ago.

But my infamous procrastinating ways is not the focus of today's conversation. Either way, these were a tasty change to my diet, but perhaps too much work without fancy gadgets. Maybe the next time I get a craving to eat chickpeas, I'll have coughed up the whopping $17 for that damn food processor blade.

Chickpea Patties with Yogurt Sauce (adapted from Wonderful Joy Ahead)

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Ingredients

1 cup Bread Crumbs 

1 1/4 cups 2% Greek yogurt

6 scallions, sliced thin

1/4 Cup fresh mint, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

2 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed

2 large eggs

6 tsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 Tsp garam masala

1 Tsp cumin

1/2 small onion, minced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1Tsp salt

1 Tsp black pepper

In a small bowl,  3/4 cup of the yogurt, 2 tbs of the scallions, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 tbs of mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor about 8 times until you have a coarse puree with large pieces still remaining. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2 tbs of olive oil, garam masala, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to the bowl the chickpeas, breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, onion, remaining scallions, and remaining mint. Mix gently until just combined.

Form 1 inch thick patties with about 1/2 cup of chickpea mixture each, yielding 6-10 patties. 

On medium heat, heat 2 tsp of oil in large and heavy skillet. When oil is hot, place 3-4 of the patties into the skillet.  Cook until well-browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked patties to a plate and tent with foil. Repeat until all patties are cooked, adding additional oil as needed.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt sauce and enjoy.

And remember, this is not meant to substitute a real burger. I can't stress that enough.