Spicy Vegetable Patties - Extra Veg

My good friend Helen and I have created a new recipe linky for the New Year and beyond called Extra Veg.  Our aim is to encourage everyone to have a healthier start for 2014 and the rest of the year by including more vegetables in meals.  

With that philosophy in mind, I made these Spicy Vegetable Patties using half of a casserole pack of root vegetables from the supermarket, leftover from my Root Vegetable and Red Lentil Dhal recipe, and a tin of chickpeas and some spices I had in my store cupboard.  The patties are 10p each to make and are a tasty, filling and vegetable packed lunchtime or dinner feast.  

Spicy Vegetable Patties

400g can chickpeas or kidney beans

2 tsp oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 parsnip, peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, minced

2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala or curry powder, I used mild

To serve:

Handful fresh herbs, roughly chopped

250g pot natural yoghurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Mash the chickpeas in a large bowl with a potato masher or fork, they need to be fairly mushy.  Put the oil into a frying pan over a medium heat.  Add the onion and gently fry for 2 minutes then add the grated carrot, minced garlic and grated ginger.  Heat for 2-3 minutes to soften then add the spices and cook for another couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant.  Add the cooked mixture to the chickpeas and mix until combined.

Take tablespoonfuls or more of mixture and shape into a pattie or sausage shape, whichever shape and size you prefer.  Repeat until all the mixture has been used.  You should end up with at least 10-12 golf ball sized patties.  Put in the fridge to firm up for about 15 minutes to half an hour.

Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil.  Take the patties from the fridge and pan fry in batches until golden and cooked through.  Serve with herbed yoghurt dip and salad in pita or flat breads.  We had ours with steamed kale from our garden and cooked rice.

Costings

Spicy Vegetable Patties - Makes 10 - 12

Tinned Chickpeas 60p

Vegetables 50p

Garlic 3p

Ginger 3p

Cumin 1p

Garam Masala 3p

Oil 3p
Total £1.23