Falafel pitta burger
Beans and pulses are so next year; mark my words, they will rise in popularity very soon and rather than baked beans being the only pulse people tolerate EVERYONE will be tucking into the nutritious delicious chickpeas, lentils, cannellini beans and the huge variety of beans and pulses found across the globe. Anyway, back to this pitta burger – bloody gorgeous, cheap, easy, filling, cow-free. Try it.
This is the smallprint: These burgers can be a mare when frying, turning to a frying pan of mushy chickpea thing. So you must make the mixture dry enough then, if you have time, chill it before shaping. Even better if you have time, is to bake them in the oven.
These falafel are BEAUTIFUL the next day with salad and coleslaw or mango chutney.
If you’re really pushed for time buy some decent falafel (no nasties) and stick those in a pitta with salad.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Servings: 2
Ingredients
For the burger:
- 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and dried on a tea towel
- 1 teaspoon each of dried cumin, turmeric and coriander
- half a teaspoon of chilli powder (optional)
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed*
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of plain flour
- very large pinch of sea salt
- olive oil
For the salad:
- couple of large lettuce leaves, chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
- half a red onion thinly sliced
- small bunch of flat leaf parsley
- some thinly sliced cucumber
- 4 wholemeal pitta breads, toasted/warmed
I like to serve it with ketchup and mayo but that’s me!
Nuush clients: Please apply the portion sizes stated in your account and divide the recipe so that you make only as much you need.
Instructions
Into a blender or processor add the chickpeas, chopped onion (not the sliced, that’s for serving), garlic, salt, spices. Blend until fairly smooth then (if you have time now, chill the mixture for an hour in the fridge) shape into burger shapes with floured surface and hands.
Either fry in olive oil turning until cooked through and the outside is browned, or place on a lined baking sheet in a 180deg oven for 20 mins.
Stuff the warmed pitta with the burger, salad and ketchup/mayo if using. Or make/buy some tomato salsa to go with it.
Nutrition Info
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a reservoir of fibre, which helps to keep you full and gives your happy gut microbes their favourite food. They’re also a great source of folate, which is important for brain and nervous system health. On the same lines chickpeas are high in the mineral Molybdenum which is also though to be a key player in maintaining a healthy functional nervous system.
Along with their high protein content they’ll help keep you strong and bright as a button.
Find your new natural
Hard and dry, a chickpea is inedible. Hard and dry, a heart is unlovable. Presoak it in dance, music and art.
Khang Kijarro Nguyen
Portion Guidelines
Instead of living with the bore of weighing food, counting points or calories and tapping everything you eat into a phone you can use nature’s custom-designed tool – your hands!
