Chickpea Patties

Inspiration:
What did you eat?

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well.
• 1/2 cup finely diced onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh green peas
• 1/2 heaping cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin (or more or less)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg
• about 1/2 teaspoon salt (check to see if you need more before you add the egg)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots until they are soft. Add the peas when the onions are almost done. Salt them to taste. Add the cumin and cook one minute more.
   
2. Put the chickpeas, into a food processor and chop until they are a rough texture. Combine the chickpeas and onion mixture in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg and cilantro and mix together until fully incorporated.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet with a thin film of oil until hot. Wet your hands and scoop up handfuls of the mixture. (Smaller patties are easier to cook), and flatten them into patties . Slip them gently into the skillet. If they break apart, just use a spatula to push them into shape. Press down gently with spatula to compress the patty. Cook over a medium high heat for about 4 minutes, then slip a spatula under the bottom to see if they are set enough to lift up. If they are, lift and look at the bottom. If they have browned some, gently flip them over and cook that side for 4 or however many minutes until they are done. If they beak a little when you flip them--just push them together and press down and cook them until they are browned. Serve with the dried cherry and tomato jam.

Notes: As noted in the original recipe, these patties fall apart easily. Suggestions? Another binder, like flour, or an additional egg? The original recipe paired these with a tomato-dried cherry jam; I suggest trying that or a basic tomato sauce. A little sriracha would be good, too.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10