Today's guest post is brought to you by an old childhood summer camp friend. I've mentioned before how my decision to become a vegetarian was partially spurred by that place on Big Blue Lake, though I haven't thought much about how camp may have spurred my interest in food, generally. But seeing how Andy is the second guest poster who I met at Pendalouan, I can't help but wonder: is a trend emerging? Is cookie sheet pizza somehow to thank for Meals; for Moderns?--
Chickpea-bean cakes with curry cheese sauceServes 3-4 people
This recipe is an adaptation of my mother's recipe for lentil patties with cheddar cheese sauce which is a favorite in our family. I've stuck to the spirit of that recipe but made it a little more exciting perhaps by incorporating some more ethnic-fusion stuff in.
You will need:
* 2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans)-- canned is fine, steamed/boiled dried are better.
* 2 cups lentils, black beans, or black soybeans. Almost any bean will work, I like one with a nutty, earthy flavor.
If you are cooking the beans yourself it's better to overcook them a bit as it makes them easier to work with when smashing them into patties
* 1 ½ cups toasted cooked barley, brown rice, or Grape Nuts (yes, the breakfast cereal). If you are toasting grains/rice yourself they should be somewhat crispy but not totally hard. Other cereals can be used but results may vary.
* 1 ½ cups smashed-up plain (preferably unsalted) crackers (I use wheat germ...almost any will work)
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 1 onion, grated
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
* 1 tsp coriander
* 1 tsp cumin
* extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese.
* 2 cups plain yogurt, the less thick the better, those yogurt drinks work very well if you can find plain ones. If you are using thicker yogurt you may need to increase the amount of water.
* 1 cup water (room temp is fine, very cold is bad)
* 1 tsp salt
* 4 tbsp flour
* 4 tbsp margarine or butter
* 2-3 tbsp madras (yellow!) curry powder to taste
Directions:
1. Mix the beans, grated onion, garlic, cereal grains, 2 tbsp of butter, eggs, and crackers in a large mixing bowl. Smash the beans well, you want them to be pasty enough to form into a cohesive patty but not so mushed that they are like mashed potatoes.
2. Using your hands, press the mixture into balls about 4-5 inches in diameter and then squish them down into thinner patties, they should look about the same size as a fairly large hamburger patty. Press hard or they tend to fall apart when frying.
3. Cover and refrigerate the patties for 20-30 minutes, they will set into their shape and be much easier to keep together when frying.
4. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 4 tbsp butter or margarine. Once it is fully melted, slowly whisk in the flour, creating a roux.
5. Add the yogurt and then the water (in that order) and increase heat to medium, stirring frequently until it is just below a full boil.
6. Reduce heat slightly and add the cheese, salt, and curry powder and stir vigorously until the sauce is fully combined, then reduce heat to very low. You can keep this sauce on very low heat while you fry the patties or just turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan (I do this), just don't forget to stir it occasionally.
7. In a frying pan, heat 2-3 tbsp (don't really need to measure) extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Tip: the oil is ready for frying when you can see it shimmer a bit when moving the pan, but be careful not to heat it past its smoke point.
8. Reduce the heat slightly and carefully set as many patties into it as you can reasonably fit.
9. Fry each patty for 7-10 minutes on each side or until they are well browned, then turn them and do the other side. Be careful when flipping them as they have a tendency to break apart. Add more olive oil if the pan looks dry as needed.
10. Top the patties with the sauce and serve. Enjoy! I often accompany them with steamed broccoli or other green vegetables as the sauce is delicious on those as well.
These are best served immediately but can be reheated. If you want to have some for later my suggestion is to make the patties up to the stage after you let them set and then freeze them without frying them. Later you can defrost them and fry them up.
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