EASY CHANA (CHICKPEA) "CUTLETS"

Last week I made a large batch of pressure-cooked chickpeas that I over-cooked-- they were pretty mushy!  I wondered what the heck I was going to do with all these mushy chickpeas.  My first thought was dinner that night-- I didn't have much time.  I remembered some Indian chickpea patties or "cutlets" that I had made years before-- that sounded like a good solution for at least some of the chickpeas.  It turned out to be an excellent idea-- tasty, quick to make, inexpensive and nutritious.  I served them (drizzled with homemade soy yogurt and chutney (not the one I used this time, but this is a great homemade chutney recipe) with some bulgur wheat pilaf that I had in the refrigerator, and steamed green beans-- a very satisfying and delicious dinner!

PS: What did I do with the remaining mushy chickpeas? I made a couple of delicious batches of super-silky hummus!  One night we made a filling and yummy meal of a large salad with various veggies and that hummus on homemade sourdough bread.

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BRYANNA'S CHANA (CHICKPEA) CUTLETS
Servings: 6
Yield: 12 patties

3 cups well-cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, minced
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
4 cloves garlic, minced
(Note: You can chop the onions, carrot, garlic, and jalapenos together in a food processor if you wish.)
2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
panko (dry Japanese breadcrumbs-- they can be whole wheat) for coating

Mash the chickpeas with a fork or a potato masher.

Sauté the minced onion, carrots, garlic and jalapenos in a little oil until softened, along with the curry powder, cumin, turmeric and salt OR, microwave them in a covered micowave-safe covered dish until softened, about 4 minutes.

Mix the sautéed veggies with the mashed chickpeas, ginger and lemon juice. Add the whole wheat breadcrumbs.  The mixture should be thick enough to shape into patties.  If not, add more breadcrumbs. Taste for salt.

If you have time, refrigerate the mixture for a few hours.  It is easier to form the patties with a chilled mixture, but you can do it with the just-made mixture if necessary.

Divide the chickpea mixture into 12 equal portions.  Set out a shallow bowl and add the panko.

Shape the chickpea mixture into patties or "cutlets" about 1/2-inch thick.  Coat each side of the cutlets well with the panko.

You can cook these cutlets in 3 different ways:

1.) Brown them in a little hot oil in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides.  Place on brown paper or paper towel-lined cookie sheet and keep warm in a low oven for a short time until you serve them.

2.) Place the cutlets on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet and bake at 450  degrees F until golden brown, turning once (carefully).

3.) Same as #2, but instead of baking, place the cookie sheet about 4-5 inches under your oven's broiler, using high heat.  With this method, you must watch carefully.  When the top is golden brown, turn the cutlets over and broil the other side in the same way.  To keep warm for a short time, turn off the broiler and place the pan on the bottom shelf of the oven.

Serve the cutlets with vegan yogurt (or sour cream) and your favorite chutney. (See photo at the top of this blog post.)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving-- 2 cutlets): 304 calories, 39 calories from fat, 4.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 454.4mg sodium, 430.8mg potassium, 55.6g carbohydrates, 10.8g fiber, 6.7g sugar, 13.2g protein.

Enjoy!