What to Make Tonight: Tandoori Chickpea & Courgette Burgers

Tandoori Chickpea & Courgette Burgers

It’s no secret that I’m a big meat eater, but there’s something about a veggie burger that is just so satisfying and moreish that I find myself craving this over a beef burger.

The base of this burger is chickpeas, a staple ingredient in my cupboard and in many of my recipes. They’re packed full of protein, so make a great meat alternative, not to mention all the fibre, vitamins, and minerals they contain. This recipe also works well as a brunch option with a runny poached egg served on top.

Makes 5-6 burgers

Ingredients
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
? courgette, grated
1 tbsp tahini
1-2 tbsp Oatly milk
50g oats
? tsp turmeric
? tsp ground cumin
? tsp chilli powder
salt and black pepper

To serve
salad of your choice

Method
Fry the onion and garlic in a teaspoon of the coconut oil until soft and translucent.

Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the courgette, tahini, milk, oats and seasoning, to taste. Pulse until they are combined, but not completely smooth, to retain a bit of texture.

Divide the mixture into 5 or 6 palm-sized burgers. Place on a tray in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to firm up. Preheat the oven to 180?C/gas mark 4.

Heat the remaining coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the burgers for about 5-10 minutes on both sides to crisp up the outside and seal in the moisture.

Place the burgers on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Serve these up with a salad of your choice. I love mine alongside lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts and avocado.

Extracted from The Food Medic: Recipes & Fitness for Life by Dr Hazel Wallace (Yellow Kite, approx €24). Photography by Susan Bell – Hodder & Stoughton. Catch Dr Hazel Wallace at WellFest, May 6-7, wellfest.ie. And read our interview with Dr Wallace in the May issue of IMAGE Magazine, out now.