Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

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SERVES 4 • TO PREP 30 MINUTES • STORE 1 TO 24 HOURS • TO FINISH 30 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Buttery, nutty chickpeas make a great foundation for a light yet filling vegetarian patty. They are protein-rich and just as satisfying as a beef burger, and they can be mixed and formed ahead of time and stored overnight for a quick dinner. To keep our recipe easy, we decided to use canned beans rather than dried, which would require an overnight soak before we could prep and form the patties. Pulsing the chickpeas in the food processer was quick and gave us just the right coarse texture for cohesive cakes. For the flavors, we started with the fragrant Indian spice mix garam masala. Tasters liked the aromatic flavor of onion, but it released moisture as it sat, making the cakes gummy. Swapping the onion for scallions fixed the problem, lending a nice onion flavor without excess moisture. Fresh cilantro added a bright complexity. For a cool, creamy counterpoint, we made a simple cucumber-yogurt sauce to top the cakes. Use a coarse grater to shred the cucumber. Be careful to avoid overprocessing the bean mixture, as it will cause the cakes to become mealy in texture.

1	cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded
	Salt and pepper
1¼	cups plain Greek yogurt
6	scallions, sliced thin
¼	cup minced fresh cilantro
2	(14-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
2	large eggs
6	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1	teaspoon garam masala
⅛	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	cup panko bread crumbs
1	shallot, minced

TO FINISH AND SERVE
¼	cup vegetable oil

TO PREP

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss cucumber with ½ teaspoon salt in fine-mesh strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Combine drained cucumber, ¾ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons scallions, and 1 tablespoon cilantro in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; cover.

2. Meanwhile, pulse chickpeas in food processor to coarse puree with few large pieces remaining, about 8 pulses. Whisk eggs, 2 tablespoons oil, garam masala, cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon salt together in medium bowl. Stir in processed chickpeas, panko, shallot, remaining ½ cup yogurt, remaining scallions, and remaining 3 tablespoons cilantro until just combined. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, pack firmly into 1-inch-thick patties, and place on prepared sheet; cover.

TO STORE

3. Refrigerate cucumber-yogurt sauce and chickpea cakes separately for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

4. Remove cucumber-yogurt sauce from refrigerator and bring to room temperature while preparing chickpea cakes. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently lay 4 patties in skillet and cook until well browned on first side, 6 to 8 minutes. Gently flip patties and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer patties to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Return now-empty skillet to medium heat and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining 4 patties. Serve with yogurt sauce.