Description
These falafel burgers are a delicious vegetarian alternative to traditional meat burgers, featuring spiced chickpea patties fried until golden and served with creamy houmous and fresh watercress on toasted burger buns. Perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner with a Middle Eastern twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Falafel Patties
- 250g canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- Small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 rounded tbsp plain flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
To Serve
- 100g houmous
- 4 burger buns, cut in half
- Watercress, a handful per burger
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpeas: Drain, rinse, and thoroughly dry the canned chickpeas. Place them into a food processor and pulse until they break up into coarse crumbs, avoiding turning them into a smooth paste.
- Make the falafel mixture: Add the finely chopped onion, crushed garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, chopped parsley, plain flour, and season with salt and pepper to the food processor with the chickpeas. Pulse repeatedly until all ingredients are combined but still have some texture.
- Form the patties: Using clean hands, gently shape the mixture into 4 patties approximately 10cm in diameter and about 2cm thick, taking care not to compress them too much to keep them light.
- Cook the falafel patties: Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until they develop a golden-brown crust and are heated through.
- Toast the buns: Lightly griddle the cut sides of the burger buns in a griddle pan or toast them under a grill until slightly crisp and golden.
- Assemble the burgers: Spread a generous layer of houmous on the bottom halves of the toasted buns, place a falafel patty on top, add a handful of fresh watercress, and then cover with the top bun half. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure to dry the chickpeas very well to prevent soggy patties.
- Use fresh flat-leaf parsley for the best flavor in the falafel mix.
- You can add a pinch of chili powder for some heat, if desired.
- Serve with a side of salad or sweet potato fries for a balanced meal.
- Leftover falafel patties can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and gently reheated in a pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: falafel burgers, vegetarian burgers, chickpea patties, Middle Eastern recipes, meatless burgers
