Veganomicon
Chickpea Cutlets

Servings/Yield
4 cutlets
—
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup vital wheat gluten
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or microplaned
½ teaspoon lemon zest, OPTIONAL… I will skip next time
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Hungarian Paprica
¼ teaspoon dried rubbing sage
Olive oil, for pan frying
Method

In a mixing bowl… mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes – until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 by 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands… then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Just in case you were wondering (AND WE RECOMMEND THIS – POPVEG) – you can also bake these. Baking these patties gives them a tooth-some chewy texture and a firm bite. Preheat the oven to 375… lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil (or spray from pump)… place on baking sheet… and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until firm and golden brown.

POPVEG NOTE: These were great… and have a lot of possibilities. Be careful – if you’re vegan – a lot of breadcrumbs have milk in them. Also – the lemon zest didn’t work for us so much.

But – thanks to the amazing chefs at Veganomicon for another fantastic dish.

Buy the book – it’s in our favorite things section. For good reason.