k  Beetroot & roasted chickpea burgers with minted avocado yoghurt  k

These are one of the tastiest vegan burgers/falafels I have made to date and it’s fantastic knowing they are packed with healthy ingredients that include a whole host of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

The secret to the perfect texture is to roast the chickpeas beforehand and make a batter (similar to profiterole choux dough) to bind all the ingredients together – the result is moist on the inside and crispy and light on the outside, so delicious. They are oven baked making them a healthier option than deep fried falafel.

The avocado minted yoghurt really compliments the rich earthiness of the beets.

They are delicious served warm or cold with flat bread and tabouli or maybe just straight from the roasting tin…

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
250g raw beetroot (approx. 3) peeled & coarsely grated
200ml oat milk (or any non dairy)
1 tsp turmeric
70g chickpea flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
150g cooked chickpeas
½ lemon, juiced
Handful of fresh chopped coriander

For the avocado yogurt

1 ripe avocado
120g carton live natural yoghurt
1/2 small clove garlic crushed
Handful chopped fresh mint
½ juice lemon

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and gently sauté the onion, cumin, coriander and allspice over medium heat for 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Place the chickpeas on a baking tray and drizzle over a little olive oil – roast for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside.
• In a medium non-stick saucepan, bring the milk and the turmeric to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Little by little, whisk in the chickpea flour until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, keep the mixture moving to avoid lumps. Add the remaining olive oil and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come away from the sides of the pan and shape into a ball.
• Cool the ball of paste, then mix in the sautéed onions, roasted chickpeas, grated beetroot and fresh coriander. Using your hands thoroughly combine the mixture. Mould the mixture into golf-ball-sized balls and flatten slightly to form patties – arrange on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until chilled.
• Now make the avocado yoghurt, add all the ingredients to a blender and whizz until you have a smooth consistency (you can do this without a blender for a chunkier texture)
• Drizzle a little more olive oil over the burgers/patties and bake for approx. 20 minutes until slightly crispy around the edges. Serve warm with dressed salad leaves and the yoghurt dressing.