chickpea burgers

beans and grains, when consumed roughly around the same time, creates a complete amino acid, something that is almost impossible to find without reaching for animal protein sources. most ethnic cuisines (indian curry, mexican beans and rice, japanese tofu and rice) serve the two foods together ordinarily which is how the poorer populations of these ethnicities can subsist without a need for huge protein portions from animal products.

so far i've posted a few bean burgers, and we make them quite often. i think they're way more flavorful and filling than a regular sandwich or burger, and they still taste good at room temperature.

i find that with these burgers i can hardly get through one in a sitting because they fill me up so much. i make the filling and shape patties on one day and stack them in a container separated with saran wrap and they keep in the fridge for about a week. they taste way better when you cook them up as you want them because part of their charm is the crunch. also, i cannot even BEGIN to tell you how unbelievable caramelized onions are on these.
i don't normally use chickpeas in burgers, but i found these mini chickpeas, Chana Dal, in the bulk section of the Co-op. i'd start out with a butter bean or white bean. there's something a little too toothy about chickpeas, or maybe i've just eaten too many in my life.

my basic method of bean burgers uses a little less than half of a bag of reconstituted beans. this is probably equivalent to two cans of beans, so half it if you're only using one can.

beans
small onion
thyme
8-10 mushrooms
balsamic vinegar
seasoning
eggs
breadcrumbs if you have them


on medium, cook the diced onion, thyme and mushrooms until the mushrooms have released their moisture and everything is getting brown. add a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar and use it to scrape up any little bits that have stuck to the bottom, then transfer to a large bowl, reserving a bit to add as a condiment.


in the same bowl, add your drained and rinsed beans and whatever seasoning you normally use on burgers. i use some burger seasoning, tabasco, pepper, and a tiny bit of paprika and sugar. mix it all together, really trying to mash down most of the beans, then add two eggs, mix in well, and start forming into patties. i lay out a bunch of saran wrap pieces and put a patty on each as i make them, then wrap them up individually.
if you're making a bunch right away, consider dredging in breadcrumbs or panko crumbs before cooking in enough oil so that it just barely covers the bottom of the pan. they take about 6-8 minutes to cook, mostly to just get a good sear. and they may fall apart on you a bit. often the patties that have had a chance to firm up in the fridge fare better. they taste really good with sliced tomatoes and mayo.


beans and grains, when consumed roughly around the same time, creates a complete amino acid, something that is almost impossible to find without reaching for animal protein sources. most ethnic cuisines (indian curry, mexican beans and rice, japanese tofu and rice) serve the two foods together ordinarily which is how the poorer populations of these ethnicities can subsist without a need for huge protein portions from animal products.