Extra-Savory Eggplant Burger
- 35 grams raw cashews
- 130 grams cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin or ras el hanout
- 2 small eggplants, cubed (no need to peel, the skin adds to the texture)
- 8 kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 1/2 egg, beaten* (see last step for a vegan option)
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 burger buns of your choice, split
- toppings of your choice, such as tomato slices, romaine lettuce, piccalilly, mayonnaise, red onion, harissa, pickles
- Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and leave to drain in a colander for an hour.
- Heat the oven to 180u0b0 C / 355u0b0 F . Distribute the cashews over a baking sheet and roast until golden, roughly 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Pulse them in a food processor until they are ground into a fine meal.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220u0b0 C / 430u0b0 F. Dry chickpeas carefully with a tea towel and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and cumin. Spread on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven until crisp, 8 to 15 minutes. Leave to cool. Pulse the chickpeas in the food processor until they are ground into a course meal. Add to the ground cashews.
- Carefully rinse the eggplant. Wring out in the eggplant cubes as much as you can, using your hands or a clean kitchen towel. Heat the oven to 200u0b0 C / 390u0b0 F. Spread the eggplant on a large baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes until browned and dry.
- Mash the eggplant. Add to the cashew and chickpea meal together with the remaining ingredients. Divide mixture into two balls and shape into patties. Wrap carefully in plastic and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Heat the remaining table spoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add patties to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on both sides until golden. Place on the burger buns and add any toppings of choice.
- *to make a vegan burger, combine 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water and leave for at least 30 minutes until it starts to gel. Use instead of the egg.
cashews, chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, eggplants, olives, egg, soy sauce, garlic, flatleaf parsley, buns, toppings of your choice
Taken from food52.com/recipes/41031-extra-savory-eggplant-burger (may not work)