While brainstorming about dinner after Ashley and I made a plan to eat together Saturday night, she opted for some sort of chic pea burger. This was completely inspired by a burger she made last spring.
This version held up very well. I have found that many bean burgers get a bit mushy in the middle as you eat it. The wheat gluten solidifies this perfectly. If garbanzo bean flour is not available, unbleached wheat flour can be used.
Chic Pea Burgers
the burger
5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
25 oz of chic peas
3/4 cup of wheat gluten
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of garbanzo bean flour
1 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon of onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of jalapeno pepper (chopped)
1 teaspoon of black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Using an "un-chicken" broth works very well.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the chic peas. Do not need to make smooth, some chunk is nice for the texture. Then add the jalapeno pepper, garlic, onion, cilantro, and hot broth and mix well. Add the wheat gluten and garbanzo bean flour and mix well. This will begin to thicken quickly. Add the cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and mix thoroughly. It may be necessary to mix with your hands at this point.
It should have almost a dough like texture at this point. Kneed it out into a 1/2 inch slab and cut into patties. Place the patties in a baking pan with a light layer of oil and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. This will make them nice and firm. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
the breading
1 cup of garbanzo bean flour
1 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 cup of vegan chicken broth powder
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon of parsley
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
Set out two separate bowls. In one, pour the vegetable broth. In the other, combine all other ingredients. Take 4 tablespoons of the flour mixture and add it to the broth. Mix well.
the frying
1/2 cup of oil
Heat the oil in a skillet on low heat. Take a chic pea patty and dip it in the broth mixture. Then dip it in the flour mixture and cover both sides. Add the patty to the oil and fry for 3 minutes, flip and fry for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the patty from the oil and set on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process for each patty. This recipe should make about 6 patties.
