Easy chick pea burgers

A homemade hamburger is almost always better than a frozen patty.  Same goes for veggie burgers.  This one is fast and easy as long as you have a food processor.  It stays together pretty well, but I still wouldn’t trust it on the barbecue. If you’re having a barbecue with friends time it to come inside and pan fry this patty in the final 10 minutes while the King of the Grill finishes up whatever meat is on the bbq. 

I’ve tried a few different veggie patties over the years, but I like this one the best because it’s easy and tasty, and it doesn’t have any weird ingredients.  Cardomom (a spice) is as strange as this one gets, and it can go without if you don’t have any in the cupboard.

I pulled this off a website – I think from a newspaper in the US.  Don’t remember where exactly – the printed email is well used already.

• 1 medium yellow union, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (I use walnut pieces)
• 1/2 cup TRADITIONAL rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp ground cardomom
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Start by frying the chopped onion and garlic in a skillet on medium-high until golden. While that’s cooking dump the rest of the ingredients into the food processor, checking back to stir the onions occasionally.
2. Once onion mixture is golden pour it into the food processor with everythingelse.  Pulse the food processor until everything is combined. Don’t go too fast!  You should still be able to pick out whole oats when looking at the mixture, but make sure it’s not too crumbly or it’ll fall apart in the pan.
3. Put the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes so it cools.  (this isn’t necessary, but it’s easier to work with if it’s cold.)  With wet hands shape the mixture into four patties.  (I place them on wax paper if I’m not going to cook them right away. 
4. Cook them in olive oil on medium-high in the same skillet you used to cook the onion mixture so you don’t have to dirty another pan.  Turn them only once, about 4-5 minutes in to keep them together.

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