Make this fantastic base recipe for a vegan burger and add whatever you fancy – chilli flakes, grated lemon zest or other herbs all work really well
Prep:10 mins
Serves 4
1 shallot or ½ onion, chopped1 stick of celery, or ¼ red pepper, choppedhandful of parsley leaves400g can chickpeas, drained and left to dry a little1-2 tsp garam masala1 tbsp tomato purée2 tbsp plain flour1 tbsp polenta, couscous, or dried breadcrumbsoil, for fryingburger buns or pitta bread, lettuce, tomato, and sauces to serve
STEP 1Whizz the shallot, celery, parsley and most of the chickpeas to a coarse paste. Don’t overdo this, you want a texture slightly rougher than hummus. Mash the remaining chickpeas and stir them into the paste with the garam masala, tomato purée, flour and polenta. Season well.STEP 2Shape the mixture into four patties. Let them rest for at least 30 mins – you can leave them overnight in the fridge if you like. The polenta needs time to absorb any extra liquid.STEP 3Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the patties until they’re brown and crisp on each side. Try not to handle them too much as they’ll be quite soft when warm. Slide into buns or pitta with the accompaniments that you’d like.
