These chickpea and mushroom patties are a great way to enjoy a super healthy, high-protein, vegan, gluten-free meal, while using optimal plant-based ingredients. You can't do more natural than that, really. They are nicely moist on the inside with a lovely soft crisp on the outside, no need to add any sauce (but you could if you really wanted to!).
I'm using a bunch of spice but they’re absolutely optional. You can skip them or replace them with whatever you have.
Find out more about the health benefits of chickpeas after the recipe.
Ingredients (4 patties)
Chickpeas cooked, 240g (1 can drained weight)
Button mushrooms, 100g
Onion, 1 small
Garlic, 2 large cloves
Tahini, 1 generous tablespoon
Apple, half medium sized
Fresh parsley (finely chopped), 3 tablespoons
Ginger, 2 cm freshly grated
Himalayan salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Gram flour (chickpea flour), 2 level tablespoons (I reckon you could also use breadcrumbs, but then it’s not gluten-free anymore)
Optional, my Ayurvedic touch:
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon
Recipe
Grate the ginger, crush the garlic, dice the onion and chop the mushrooms into small pieces; sauté together in a pan for a few minutes with the cumin seeds and mustard seeds (if using any).
Roughly mash the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl with a fork. The mash doesn’t have to be totally smooth, although you do need to give it a good pressing through so that a lot of it is quite mushy.
Grate the half apple (including the skin).
Add the gram flour, tahini, apple, salt and mix of spice (if you fancy), and mix all together using the back of a metal spoon (to press down and help support the binding process).
Finely chop the parsley.
Add the sautéed items along with all remaining ingredients into bowl, pressing down and mixing thoroughly with a metal spoon.
Optional: you can put the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so so it’s easier to make the patties.
Form 4 patties, heat some coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat, and fry them for about 4 minutes on each side. Make sure you don't set the heat too high so you don't burn them.
I haven't tried in the oven, but you could give it a go!
They work wonders with a salad or some cooked vegetables, I also had added some sautéed sunflower seeds to give it a good crunch.
Health benefits of chickpeas
Chickpeas are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibre; they're high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Chickpeas may offer a variety of health benefits:
Improve digestion;
Help with weight management as the protein and fibre help keep your appetite under control;
Help manager blood sugar levels
Protect against certain chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes
Boost bone, skin and hair health
Lower inflammation
Balance hormones