Middle Eastern Burgers Recipe - Cooking Index

Middle Eastern Burgers

Soaking the chickpeas overnight and then grinding them in a food processor makes them digestible without sacrificing their crunchy texture. If you're in a hurry, though, they can be brought to a boil for several minutes, removed from the heat and soaked for an hour, or as time allows.

Courses: Vegetarian
Serves: 9 people

Recipe Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons  Cumin powder
3 teaspoons  Garlic cloves - minced (large)
4 tablespoons  Finely-chopped seeded jalapeño peppers
1/3 cup  Whole-wheat bread flour
9   Pita breads - (6" to 7" dia) - 1/2" sliced off to
  Expose pocket
  Shredded lettuce - for serving
  Lime-Tahini Sauce - (see recipe) for
  Serving
1 cup  Finely-chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups  Dried chickpeas
1   Bay leaf
1   Strip kombu - (4" long)
8   Dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves
3 tablespoons  Olive oil - plus
  Additional for brushing
1 1/2 teaspoons  Salt
1/4 teaspoon  Freshly-ground black pepper
1/3 cup  Finely-chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup  Finely-chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons  Tamari
  = (or reduced-sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon  Grated lime or lemon peel

Recipe Instructions

In large pot, combine chickpeas, bay leaf, kombu and 8 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, in water overnight.

In shallow bowl, combine tomatoes in boiling water to cover. Let stand until softened, 20 minutes. Drain, chop coarsely and set aside.

Drain soaked chickpeas, removing bay leaf and kombu (you can save kombu to use in soup, stew or other vegetable dish). Transfer chickpeas to food processor. Add 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper and pulse until finely ground. Add reserved tomatoes, parsley, mint, tamari and lime peel and pulse briefly to combine. With rubber spatula, scrape mixture into large bowl and set aside.

In large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to chickpea mixture. Gradually stir in flour until well combined. Using 1/2 cup for each and packing firmly, form mixture into 9 round patties.

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat gas grill to high. Place burgers on grill rack, brush with oil and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, stuff each pita with shredded lettuce and a burger, then drizzle with Lime-Tahini Sauce.

This recipe yields 9 burgers.

Per Burger: 358 Cal; 14g Prot; 7g Total Fat (1 Sat. Fat); 60g Carb.; 0mg Chol; 930mg Sod.; 7g Fiber.

Source:
Vegetarian Times, January 2002

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