Dear Eric: Do you have a vegetarian burger-patty recipe that holds together? Mine always seem to come apart in the pan.
Penelope
I’ve cooked up a few different veggie-burger recipes over the years and it’s always a balancing act.
When I’ve made the mixture for the patties too moist and/or too coarse, they, like Penelope’s patties, were hard to flip and often broke apart in the pan.
On the other side of the equation, when I’ve made my veggie-patty mixture too stodgy, loaded with binders to keep them together, they did hold together, but were unpalatably dry.
My goal when making a veggie burger is to arrive somewhere between those two points. In other words, the patty, when cooked, should be moist in the middle, but still nicely hold together and look like a patty when set on the bun.
How moist my patty will be will also depend on how I accent it once in the bun.
The latter was definitely a consideration with today’s recipe.
In it, I’ve used canned chickpeas as the base for the patties. When drained well, the chickpeas were pulsed in the food processor with egg, tahini and garlic until almost paste-like.
The mixture is then transferred to a bowl, and spices, carrot, zucchini and chopped fresh parsley or mint are mixed in. The mixture is shaped into patties and then chilled until firm.
I then coated the patties in breadcrumbs and fried them until golden and hot. When cooked, the patties held together well and they had a texture similar to falafel, but moister. It proved to be the perfect patty for a burger whose buns were also filled with moist and marvellous tzatziki sauce, juicy tomato, crisp lettuce and tangy feta cheese.
The recipes yield four servings. If that’s too many for you, the coated, uncooked patties will freeze well. To do so, freeze them solid on a baking sheet and then individually wrap until ready to thaw and cook.
Chickpea Burgers with Feta and Tzatziki
Chickpea-rich patties sandwiched in buns with a tangy sauce, cheese, tomato and lettuce.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: Six to eight minutes
Makes: Four servings
For the tzatziki
1⁄2 medium English cucumber
1 1⁄4 cups thick, Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1⁄2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
• salt and white pepper to taste
Set a large sieve over a bowl. Coarsely grate the cucumber into the sieve. Press on the cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Discard the liquid.
Place the squeezed cucumber in a second bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Can be made several hours before needed.
For the patties and to serve
1 (19 oz./540 mL) can chickpeas
2 to 3 Tbsp tahini (see Note)
1 large egg
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1⁄3 cup grated zucchini
1⁄3 cup grated carrot
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or mint
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 thin slices feta cheese
8 thin tomato slices
4 lettuce leaves
4 hamburger or kaiser buns, warmed
Drain the chickpeas, rinse in cold water and drain well again. Place in a food processor, along with the tahini, egg and garlic. Pulse until almost paste-like, but still a little bit coarse in texture.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the zucchini, carrot, parsley (or mint), cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne.
Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Moisten your hands with cold water, and then shake off the excess. Form one-quarter of the chickpea mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick patty and set on the breadcrumbs. Coat the patty completely with the breadcrumbs, pressing on the crumbs to help them adhere.
Set the coated patty on the baking sheet. Make three more patties in similar fashion with the remaining chickpea mixture. Cover and refrigerate the patties for at least 20 minutes to firm them up. (Patties can be made several hours before needed; keep refrigerated until ready to cook.)
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chickpea burgers and cook for three to four minutes per side, or until golden and completely heated through.
Spread the cut side of the buns generously with the tzatziki sauce. Set a lettuce leaf on each bottom bun. Set a chickpea patty on top of the lettuce. Top each patty with two tomato slices and two feta slices. Set on top buns and serve.
Note: Tahini is a tasty paste made from nutrient-rich sesame seeds. It’s sold at most supermarkets, usually in the peanut-butter aisle. Give it a stir before using to ensure it is even in consistency. If your tahini is more fluid, use only 2 Tbsp in this recipe. If thicker, like peanut butter, use 3 Tbsp to ensure the patties have adequate moisture.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
