Black Eye Beanburgers

Getting the texture of bean burgers is of paramount importance, provided you don’t want to break your jaw on it or have the opposite problem of sucking it through your teeth. To avoid using the conventional breadcrumbs and eggs as binders (which always seem colonically incongruent when looking at the bean burger as a health food), I have used potato flakes and corn/ gram flour, or as an alternative, oat bran.

2 x 400g tins Black Eye Beans (or any other bean variety you like) Alternatively use 1 cup quinoa or millet & water.	Empty the tins into a pan and simmer for 15- 20 minutes to soften whilst getting on with prep below. Once the beans are ready, drain them and mash until of the desired texture (smooth or chunky, it’s up to you).
1 Sweet red Pepper, chopped finely 1 Med bunch Coriander, chopped finely Large handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped 1tsp chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala ¾ tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper Juice of ½ lemon	Chop the vegetables and mix with the seasonings in a large bowl. You could substitute any number of ingredients, including: Green peppers Baby spinach, chopped Sweet corn Green beans, chopped Grated carrot, etc.
1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 medium onion, chopped (or shallots) 3- 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely Olive Oil (1 Tbsp)	Fry the ingredients until browned and aromatic. Add to the large bowl.
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter or Tahini (optional) 4 Tbsp potato flakes 3 Tbsp Corn or Gram Flour	Peanut butter = thickener Potato flakes = absorbs water Flour = binding You can also use Wholewheat Flour or Oat Bran in place of Corn Flour, but might need to change quantities. Add the ingredients to the bowl, ensuring a good texture is obtained, and shape handfuls of the mixture into patties.
Yoghurt, Lime juice Chilli Sauce Tomatoes, cucumber, etc.	Fry or oven bake the patties and serve with pittas, or wholemeal buns, or on a bed of salad or cous cous. Add any garnish you prefer.

Makes 6 burgers. 

By North Utsire