Healthy Chick Pea Falafel Burger

Serves four

1/3 cup water
½ cup bulgur wheat, or substitute couscous
1 can chick peas, (19-oz can), drained very well, patted dry with paper towel
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ cup onions, finely chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
To taste salt and black pepper
As needed, olive or vegetable oil for frying

Bring the water to a boil, add the wheat. Cover, remove from the heat and let soak for five minutes.

Drain any excess water and fluff up into a bowl. Pulse the chick peas in a food processor until they are of a ground meat consistency. Do not fully puree. Add chick peas to the bowl with the wheat.

Heat a saute pan on medium heat and add the cumin and coriander. Cook until the mixture just begins to smoke and becomes aromatic. Add the spices to the bowl, along with the onions, garlic, lemon juice, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together until combined well. Divide into at least four portions and form into patties no less than three-quarters of an inch thick.

Place patties on a cookie cooling rack and allow to air dry for 30 minutes or more until a crust develops. This ensures that the pattie won’t fall apart during cooking.

To cook, heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add oil so it is about a quarter-inch high in the pan. Add the patties in small batches when the oil is hot enough so that the patties gently sizzle. Cook to a deep golden. Carefully flip over and cook until deep golden. Drain patties on the rack.