Friday, June 09, 2006

Moroccan Chickpea Patties

Today it's Moroccan Chickpea Patties from Vive (well, ONE patty anyhow!) Drizzled around the patty is my Tahini-Tamari Sauce from TEV.


Here is how the patties are made:

First, you saute chopped fennel bulb and red pepper...


While that is cooking, whiz up the chickpeas (a few are trying to get away!) with seasonings, including fresh ginger and garlic, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and apple cider vinegar.

These flavors are subtle, not overpowering, in case you are reading this thinking "what??, cinnamon and cumin with all the rest of this?" The flavors come together magically in the end!


Then, once the mixture is pureed and veggies sauteed, you combine them in a bowl with some chopped green onions.


Then, on a plate combine some breadcrumbs with sesame seeds. You form patties with your hands (I made these a little bigger than usual), and place the patties in the breadcrumb mixture, patting each side to coat a little. Then you pan-fry them in just a scant amount of oil, and you're done!


In addition to the Tahini-Tamari Sauce, we also drizzled on some Balsamic-Garlic Flax Oil from Vive. The two sauces paired fabulously on these patties. We had a salad on the side and some yam (sweet potato) fries. I didn't take a pic of this because our "real" plates were not as "fancy-shmancy" as this photo on its own (and I say that only because I impress myself when I am able to capture a stylin' photo when the muchkins are clammoring for their dinner)!! :)

Cooking Note: These patties have a soft texture that is somewhat delicate. Not that it's difficult to work with, but when cooking them it's best to flip just once or twice. Also, leftovers tend to be more dry when reheated, but a little extra sauce helps to moisten!!

19 comments:

Tanya Kristine said...

Wowie! That looks fabulous!

i need your book and the every day vegan book too!

Everyday Superhero said...

Those look so yummy. I've looked at the recipe often and thought of making them. This is the push that I needed.

Anonymous said...

yum -those look geat. I've never paired ginger with chick peas...I bet it's great

Carrie™ said...

I wanted to make these, but the fennel that was at the store when I went shopping was cruddy. I'll check again or try another store because those sound wonderful!

Dr. Melissa West said...

Now, I have cooked these before... without the fennel (probably because I have never tried fennel and/or couldn't find it at the grocery store) Your patties look much better than mine. Just wanted to let you know that since you often mention that our photos look better than yours! LOL!

Freedom said...

Mmmm, these look delicious. I invented a similar recipe which I just love - anything in burger/pattie form is great in my opinion. A note: I made the "Morish Brownies" from TEV yesterday but with some rather drastic changes - they were a gift for my mum, who can't eat any nuts or seeds, so the flax seeds went, and we don't have dairy free chocolate in our house but there's carob so used that instead. Mum loved them (she's a huge brownie fan) and was happy about the fact that there was hardly any oil. Dad had one and i asked how it was and he nodded and said very nice (nodding is a big compliment from him) and then I said, "they're vegan, want to know what's in them." When I said "carob and tofu" he just stared blankly for a minute then said "well, that was a very nice piece of vegan food."
Thanks for a great recipe! :-)
(Wow, sorry for the long comment.)

Dreena said...

Thanks, Tanya! I have posted a few recipes from these books on the recipe link page. Hmm, I just realized they are all desserts... not much of a surprise with my sweet tooth!

Hi sweet pea, well sometimes we really need to see something to determine if it is worth making! I wish I could have put photos for all my recipes in the books for that reason.

Thanks Megan, yeah, the ginger is great because it isn't overpowering in the seasonings, and the other flavors go well with it, like the cumin and touch of cinnamon. Now I want to make them again!

Carrie, I just bought a fennel bulb that looked great - firm and white, not wrinkly or blemished... but then I cut into it and it was brownish streaked throughout the inside. That irks me so much!! Maybe it's not a great 'fennel time'! :)

Great, Amy, I'm happy the pics helped! If you make them, I'd love to know how they turned out and if you like them!

Thanks Savanna... how's the eating/shopping going in your household these days? Smoothly I hope!

Dragonslayer, well, woohooo for my camera skills on that shot!! Ha! I seriously surprised myself that I got a decent looking shot with how chaotic dinner hour usually is. :) Thanks for that! Oh, for the fennel. Do you like licorice/anise flavor? When fennel is raw, it has a licorice flavor, and when cooked (sauteed or baked, etc), the flavor REALLY mellows, and it is more sweet and just so different and a refreshing change. I encourage you to try it. Roasting it is great, if you slice it and toss with olive oil and salt!

Hi freedom! Wow, I have never made those brownies with carob - or without flax. That's excellent that the substitutions worked well. I love your descriptions of your parents' reactions - how precious! I can almost visualize the nodding of your dad... even though I have no idea what he looks like - just that parental mannerism of nodding in approval. And the comment "that's a very nice piece of vegan food"! So funny, in a cute way. That's a lovely story, thanks for sharing it! Now, if you liked those brownies and you do ever get your hands on a copy of Vive, also try the Fudgy Brownie recipe. They are fudgy (obviously) rather than than cake-y (the TEV brownies) (opinions vary on which is best), and there is no flax meal in them, which is a bonus for you. Wow, that's a little more uncommon to be allergic to flax seeds (as well as other seeds). I've heard of sunflower and sesame allergies, but never to flax as well. Well, lucky for your mom she has a talented daughter that can bake up treats making substitutions for her allergies. So sweet of you! :)

Anonymous said...

yummy. I had a quick question:(Im not sure if you'd know it or not, but I couldnt figure it out) What is friut syrup? I have a product(pretty much like jelly) and it's an all-natural spreadable fruit, and it has fruit syrup. Is that just another word for sugar? Or something else? Thanks!

Dreena said...

Hi anonymous... hmmm, it's a little difficult to determine. My guess is that because it is a natural fruit spread, that this fruit syrup is (hopefully, given the 'natural' labelling) a reduction of fruit juice. Maybe grape or apple juice reduced to a thick syrup. It could, however, be a combination of fruit juice with another sweetener. Again, with the labelling, this could be maple syrup or another healthy sweetener. I think it is a reduction of the fruit juice, only because if they are listing it as 'fruit syrup', if this syrup contained other ingredients I presume they would have to list those ingredients by law. I *think*!! Even "fruit" is a bit ambiguous imo for labelling, it would be best if they listed the specific fruit used. Anyhow, I hope that helps some. If you are still unsure about eating it, maybe you want to contact the company to ask them? If it's not clear on the label, they should be ready to answer it for you by phone or e-mail! :)

Hi Savanna... well, from what I know maltitol is a natural sweetener, and is better for our bodies than white sugar. I don't know A LOT about it, though, and I did see somewhere that is can cause digestive upset with some people - not sure what that means exactly, but other than that it appears to be preferable to white sugar in terms of our immune system and things like tooth decay (I think!) However, I should note that if you are buying maple syrup, look for "Pure Maple Syrup". The pure stuff shouldn't have anything else added, just maple syrup. I don't know why this product would need maltitol in it, or anything else - I've never seen a maple syrup with maltitol in there. Puzzling. The next time you buy maple syrup, look for the pure one. Oh, on a separate note, that is great about your dad really accepting your dietary changes, and it sounds like he is quite interested in it too. Sounds like you have made a lot of progress talking with both your parents, and I'm sure your mom is 'teasing' just for some fun because we do that in families!! If she is supporting you in her actions with shopping and your cooking, etc, that means a great deal! :)

Danielle said...

Wow, those look good!! I have got to make them sometime.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

i really love your cooking process posts! put this on my "things to cook" list.

Dreena said...

Hey Savanna, well, do you have "Becoming Vegan" by Vesanto Melina? That is a good resource for all things about getting your nutrients, food values, and sources of vitamins. Vit D is one of the tricky ones, because is can be D2 which is plant origin or D3 which is animal origin. If you are looking for vitamins, check the labelling, often they indicate vegetarian and no animal ingredients, milk, dairy, eggs, etc. Gelatin of course is an issue for some of the vitamins in capsules out there, but there are many vitamins in veg capsules or in tablets. Hope that helps you! :)

Thanks, Vicki... the 'process' has been easier these days than actually uploading the pictures! ha!

Dori said...

I finally found my way here. I am anxiously waiting for my amazon purchase that includes two of your cookbooks.

I'd like to add you to my list of blogs favorites, under professional blogs and great veg resources.

Dreena said...

Hi Dori, thanks for visiting! I've seen you a few times on some of the other blogs, Leslie's and Kai's (I think!). I'm happy to be included in your blog links - thanks for doing so. I hope you find a few favorite dishes in my cookbooks - please e-mail or comment whenever you have q's about any recipes. :)

Anonymous said...

We made this dizish. It was Delizish. You are the shizitz.

Anonymous said...

Hi Your blog looks great and you have some lovely recipes,
I made some chickpea patties the other day, please
come and see my blog to take a look.

from
Jeena xx

visit jeenas blog for healthy recipes
updated daily !

Kayleen said...

Hi Dreena,

I have some batter in my fridge for these Morrocan style chickpea patties. I tried to fry one yesterday but I think my ingredients were too moist because my patty didn't look anything like yours at all. I get that it's a soft patty, but mine didn't hold it's shape at all - it fell apart when I tried to flip it, I cooked it until it was nearly burnt and still it was too soft to hold together. What is the best way to doctor it up so that it holds it's shape a little? I have flour, breadcrumbs, oats, egg replacer, or I could cook and mash some potato....Do you have a reccomendation?

Dreena said...

Hi Kayleen, you are smart to test out pan-frying a portion of the mixture first before doing the whole batch, really wise. Yes, these are soft, delicate patties, but they should hold together enough to flip and not fall apart as mentioned. That could be due to extra moisture in the mixture from the chickpeas, etc. So, to help firm it up, I'd opt for about 1/2 cup of rolled oats, or another 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. You shouldn't need much more than that, and the patties should still be delicate, rather than very dense like a burger patty. Also, if you add much more 'bulk', it will affect the seasoning and the patties will taste bland. I think rolled oats might be your best bet, b/c they will absorb the extra moisture well as the mixture sits - stir in whole, and then let sit about 1/2 - 1 hr in fridge before pan-frying. (also, a non-stick pan goes a LONG way to helping flip the patties, perhaps you are already using one, if not, that really makes a difference) Hope that improves the texture for you, and that you enjoy the patties - good luck!

Kayleen said...

Hi Dreena,

Thank you so much for your timely reply! I mixed in 1/2 cup of oatmeal and let it rest in the fridge for a few minutes, and my patties cooked up beautifully.

I absolutely love the combination of flavours here. I never would have thought of using fennel! But it works really, really well.