Falafel burger recipe
Flavoured with a medley of Middle Eastern spices and fresh herbs, this falafel recipe is a game-changer. A coarse texture is key; if the chickpeas are too finely blitzed, the falafel will be dense. Served with pickled jalapeños and a tahini mayonnaise, these vegetarian burgers can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight supper.
See method- Serves 4
- 15 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook
- 688 calories / serving
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g (13 oz) tin chickpeas
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- pinch allspice
- ½ tsp baking powder
- large handful parsley leaves
- large handful coriander leaves
- 50g (1 3/4oz) plain flour, plus 4 tbsp
- sunflower oil, for frying
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 60g (2 oz) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 4 burger buns, halved
- 1 Little Gem lettuce, finely shredded
- pickled jalapeños, to serve
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2890kJ 688.0kcal
- Fat
- 29g
- Saturates
- 4g
- Salt
- 1.1g
- Sugars
- 6g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 87.4gProtein 23.0gFibre 5.4g
Method
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving 5 tbsp of the liquid. Put half the chickpeas in a food processor and whizz for 30 seconds. Add the spring onions, garlic, ground spices, baking powder, parsley and coriander leaves, the 4 tbsp flour, the reserved chickpea liquid and a pinch of salt. Blitz to a coarse paste. Add the remaining chickpeas, and pulse to mix through, keeping some texture. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Shape the falafel mixture into 4 burgers of equal size. Coat the patties in the 60g (2oz) plain flour, dusting off any excess.
- In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1cm (1/2in) sunflower oil over a high heat. Fry the burgers in batches for 3-4 minutes each side, until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain any excess oil on kitchen paper.
- Meanwhile, put the onion in a shallow bowl. Add half the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Toss together and set aside for around 8-10 minutes to soften.
- Mix the mayonnaise, tahini, the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl. As you stir, the mixture will split. Add 1 tbsp water and mix well, until a pale, creamy sauce forms.
- Once the burgers are cooked, wipe the frying pan clean, turn the heat down to medium and add two of the burger buns (tops and bottoms). Toast for 30-40 seconds, until golden. Remove from the heat. Add 1 tsp of water. Cover the pan and leave for 20-30 seconds to soften the buns. Repeat with the remaining buns.
- To assemble the burgers, divide the lettuce between the bottom halves of the buns. Top with the cooked falafel burgers and spoon over the mayonnaise mixture. Put the softened red onions and jalapeños on top and sandwich with the tops of the buns. Serve immediately.
- See more Vegetarian recipes
