Chickpea and Pumpkin Patties

Serves: 6|Prep: 45 min

Chickpeas are packed full of potassium, vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C, iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Additionally, chickpeas contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline and selenium. They are a great vegetarian protein option for school lunchboxes and vegetarians. You can eat these chickpea and pumpkin patties alone, with sauces such as tzatziki, hummus or homemade tomato sauce, or in a sourdough bun as a veggie burger. Perfect for school lunchboxes, after school snacks and light dinners.

Ingredients

Method

1-2 Garlic Cloves
1 Spring onion, finely chopped
½ cup pumpkin, steamed and pureed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves (or ½ tsp coriander powder)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp Himalayan rock salt or sea salt (leave out for babies)
1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice or polenta
400g canned chickpeas (Eden organics – BPA free) or dried and cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp flaxmeal or 1 egg
⅓ cup of rice or sourdough breadcrumbs
Coconut oil for cooking

1.	Preheat oven to 160ºC.
2.	In a food processor, combine the garlic, spring onions, pumpkin, olive oil, coriander, cumin and salt.
3.	Add the cooked rice and half of the beans. Pulse a few times to form chunky mixture – avoid making it too smooth.
4.	Add the flaxmeal or egg and breadcrumbs and pulse 2-3 more times.
5.	Add the rest of the beans and give it one or two more pulses.
6.	The mixture can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge until ready to use. Some kids may prefer a smoother consistency so judge it for yourself.
7.	Form the dough into 15-20 small patties, about ½” thick.
8.	Place balls onto lined baking tray.
9.	Cook for approx 30-35 minutes, turn over at 20 minutes.
10.	Once removed from the oven, you can gently pan-fry in coconut oil or olive oil for approx 1-2 minutes on each side to get a nice crispy texture on the outside (optional).

Tip:

Alternatively, heat oil in fry pan over medium high heat in a large pan, working in batches if you need to. Gently add the patties to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until you get a golden crust, flip and cook another 2 -3 minutes.