Make these Juicy Falafel Burgers this Weekend

Falafel is probably the second-most Middle Eastern food next to hummus. Falafel stands have swept Western nations. They have become a popular street food choice for both veggies and omnivores alike. Which doesn’t surprise me really. Deep fried patties made from chickpeas served in hot pita bread with tahini sauce and salad – what’s not to love?

In Egypt, it’s often referred to as ta’amiyya and is made primarily using fresh fava beans as opposed to chickpeas, but either way – it’s delicious. A traditional Egyptian breakfast spread is never complete without it.

At first I considered tackling the original Egyptian recipe – but when my mother laughed at me and informed me that only a handful of women in our family have perfected ta’amiyya, I decided to leave it to the professionals. Instead, I put together an East-meets-West fusion falafel inspired by these GoodLife burgers.

I was also particularly mindful of keeping these gluten-free, as I have a friend who recently went gluten-free. From now on, I’ll be including more GF recipes in his honor. Chilli, coriander, lime, mango puree and raisins make for a tangy burger that’s sweet, savory and wholesome.

(Soy- and gluten-free)

Makes 4 patties

• 3/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1 can chickpeas drained
• 1 medium red onion
• 1/4 cup raisins*
• 1 T mango puree or 1-2 T of fresh mango
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
• A few springs of fresh parsley
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 T lemon or lime juice
• 1 t lemon zest
• 1t coconut or olive oil
• 3/4 t baking soda
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

* I used large lexia raisins but sultanas would work equally well in this.

1. Whizz some gluten-free crackers in your blender to make breadcrumbs.

1.  I used this TruFree brand but any crackers or even pretzels would do the trick. You could also use stale GF bread, if you have that on hand.
2. Add the onion, chickpeas, mango, fresh herbs, spices, baking soda, lemon zest and oil to a food processor and pulse to combine. If you like a chunkier texture, be careful not to over process or process the individual components separately then combine in a mixing bowl.

1. Add half the breadcrumbs and the lemon juice and mix. Depending on the consistency you get, you may want to add more breadcrumbs or leave as is. Mine was a little too wet because I accidentally added in some of the chickpea liquid so I added in a little more breadcrumbs to firm the mixture up a bit.

1. Taste test and adjust seasonings if you so wish – I added a little more cumin and chilli powder.

1. Shape into patties and bake on a greased tray at around 250 C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, flipping once in between.

Served with a side of sweet potato fries and a coriander, mango and avocado salad.

Oh, and a smidgen of ketchup. I wouldn’t usually but I figured it’d be rude not to.

I’m happy to report these were sensational, and made for great leftovers – even cold.

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