Carrot, Cumin and Chickpea Burgers

It’s barely the end of August but already there is a distinctly autumnal nip in the morning air.  Having only sowed for the summer season, my vegetable garden is looking a little sorry for itself.  Gone are the peas, beans, berries and courgettes.  All that is left is a few hardy head of lettuce, the new potatoes and some gorgeously dumpy dwarf carrots.

Aren’t they adorable?  Wish I’d grown more of them as they are wonderfully sweet.  Precious as they are, I’ve been keeping it simple and eating these carrots raw dipped in humous or steaming whole and serving with fish.  Perhaps next year I’ll grow rows and rows of this root vegetable and be able to use my own carrots in the soups and stews I often make. 

A bunch would undoubtably end up in the following burgers too.  Adapted from a recipe from Good Food’s Vegetarian Summer, we’ve been enjoying these in big seeded buns with lots of tomato relish all summer.  Messy eating but absolutely delicious. 

Carrot, Cumin and Chickpea Burgers

(makes 4 large patties)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tblspn olive oil

425g tin of chickpeas

500g carrots, peeled, finely grated and squeezed a little to dry out slightly

2 tblspn tahini

2 tspn cumin

1 egg

100g  breadcrumbs (2 slices whizzed in a blender)

Zest of 1 lemon

Seasoning

Sesame seeds

• Fry the onion in a little olive oil until softened.  Add 1/3 of the carrot to the pan and fry for another few minutes until softened. 
• Whizz together chickpeas, the remaining carrots, tahini, cumin and egg in a blender until a thick paste is formed.
• Add the onions and cooked carrot to the paste along with the breadcrumbs and lemon zest.  Use your hands to combine the mixture well.  Season carefully.
• Shape the mixture into four equal patties, approx. 2cm thick.  Coat in sesame seeds and chill for at least an hour.
• Fry in olive oil or brush with oil and place under the grill until golden and cooked through (10-12 minutes).

Serve in big buns with relish and lots of salad.

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