Hashimoto Foods
Spiced Chickpea Cakes with Goats’ Cheese
Cook Time:
50 minutes
Serves:
4 - 5 people
1 large 800 g (480 g dry weight) tin of chickpeas
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 red pepper diced into small squares
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fenugreek
10 g fresh coriander leaves
2 dessert spoons Greek-style yoghurt
Grated skin (zest) of one lemon
1 dessert spoons lemon juice
1 large free-range egg
3 dessert spoons gluten-free flour
A couple of twists of salt and pepper
1 pack of mild goats’ cheese
1-2 fresh green chillies
Put the chickpeas in a pan of water with just enough to cover them, then use one hand to roll the chickpeas in your hand so the skin comes off. Remove the skin and throw away and continue until you have cleared all the chickpeas. Now place the chickpeas back in the pan with just enough water to cover then bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes then drain and leave to cool. While cooling, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and after about 3 minutes put these in a spice grinder to create a powder.
Now add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the cubes peppers over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, constantly turning them so they do not burn. Then add the chillies and powdered spices and fry for just 30 seconds then remove from the heat.
Your chickpeas should now be cool enough to handle. Take a potato masher or a fork and lightly crush the chickpeas so there are still large pieces present. Just one or two presses down with a masher does the trick. Then use a chopping board to roughly cut the coriander leaves and to cut the goats’ cheese into small cubes.
In a large mixing bowl, add the yoghurt, coriander leaves, lemon zest, cheese, salt & pepper, chillies, turmeric and fenugreek and finally the chickpeas. Mix together gently.
In a shallow plate with a lip, gently beat the egg until it is mixed. In another shallow plate with a lip put the gluten-free flour and finally get a baking tray ready with a piece of baking paper to complete your assembly line. Now it is time to get messy!
While your oven pre-heats to 180 degrees Celsius, use your hands to take a palm-sized ball of the chickpea mix out of the bowl. Use your hands to press the ball into a compact patty, you will lose bits of the side but can always press these back into the patty. Press one hand down onto the patty in the other and form a burger. Now dip the burger into the egg and then into the gluten-free flour on both sides, then place in the baking tray.
Once your oven is heated and all your burgers are ready, cook them in the oven for 20 minutes then serve with baby leaf salad. Alternatively, you can pre make the burgers and grill for 4 minutes each side on a BBQ after placing them in a burger grate (or they will fall apart).