Haloumi & Chickpea Burgers

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20 July 2022 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: 4

This is not what you expect to find in a burger, though there is no reason why not. Chickpeas can be a bit dry on their own, so add plenty of yoghurt and molasses to give moistness and a sweet-sour tang.

Ingredients

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400g (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ½ tsp ground cumin, plus extra for sprinkling ¼ tsp salt, plus extra for sprinkling Finely grated zest 1 lemon 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra for sprinkling 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg yolk 1 medium beetroot, trimmed 1 rounded Tbsp standard flour Olive oil Butter 200g (7 oz) haloumi, sliced 4 ciabatta rolls or similar Freshly ground black pepper Pomegranate molasses, plain unsweetened yoghurt and iceberg lettuce, for serving

Method

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1 Put chickpeas in a food processor with garlic, cumin, salt, lemon zest and parsley and blend until paste-like (you may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl). Briefly blend in the egg yolk. Shape into 4 balls then flatten into patties. Put patties on a plate or tray, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 Peel and grate beetroot and set aside.

3 Dust patties with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium-large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat and add 1½ tablespoons of butter. Once it is sizzling, add the patties and cook on both sides until golden, turning carefully with a spatula. Transfer to a plate. Remove pan from heat and wipe clean. Add 1½ tablespoons of butter and once it is sizzling, add the haloumi and cook until a deep golden colour, lowering the heat to medium.

4 Use bread rolls fresh, or lightly toasted. Put patties on the bases. Season with salt and pepper, then stack with lettuce, haloumi and grated beetroot. Drizzle with pomegranate syrup and add a spoonful of yoghurt. Sprinkle with cumin, black pepper and parsley, put bread roll tops in place and serve.

Recipe Notes

These patties are very delicate and that’s why I recommend putting them on the bread rolls first then stacking everything on top, rather than putting the patties on top of the other ingredients because they would likely crumble.

They can be shaped and refrigerated a day ahead, and the recipe easily doubles.