Chickpea cutlets

Pulse, do not purée

The commonest failure with legume patties is blending them smooth. Chickpea purée has no internal structure, so the cutlets come out dense and pasty, closer to a thick hummus that has been fried. You want a coarse rubble with recognisable pieces of chickpea in it — pulse in short bursts and stop while it still looks under-done.

Drying the chickpeas first matters too. Tip them onto a towel and pat them properly; surface water becomes steam in the pan and steam is what makes patties fall apart.

What holds them together without egg

Tahini and breadcrumbs, doing two different jobs. The tahini is fat and protein that binds as it heats; the breadcrumbs absorb residual moisture. The half-hour chill is the third component and the one people skip — it lets the breadcrumbs hydrate fully and firms the fat, and patties that have been chilled hold together dramatically better in the pan.

Frying versus baking

Shallow frying gives a genuine crust and takes eight minutes. Baking at 400°F for 25 minutes with a brush of oil gives a drier, firmer cutlet and uses roughly a third of the oil — around 90 kcal less per serving. Both are legitimate; the fried version is better and the baked version is easier to do for six people.

Salt them the moment they come out of the pan, while the surface is still hot enough for it to stick.

Variations

• Middle Eastern — as written, with cumin and coriander, served with yoghurt and lemon.
• Indian — swap in garam masala and a chopped green chilli, and use coriander leaf rather than parsley.
• Italian — oregano, lemon zest, a handful of grated parmesan if you are not keeping it vegan.

What they are worth nutritionally

14 g of protein and a substantial amount of fibre a serving, from a base of two tins of chickpeas that cost very little. The tahini brings calcium and unsaturated fat. For anyone eating a vegan diet, this is a useful format: legume-based, freezer-friendly, and it reheats without turning to mush.