Sun-dried Tomato Chickpea Cakes/Patties (+air fryer method)

Easy Chickpea Burgers/Patties

Chickpea cakes have become my new to-go wholesome lunch option. The flavours are delicious but not overpowering, making them great to pair with salads or spicy sauces.

The recipe is straightforward - add the ingredients to a food processor, blend, shape into patties, coat in oats and cook.

The tang from the sun dried tomatoes lifts up the mild and creamy chickpeas with the basic spices and herbs and the oats provide beautiful crunch on the outside.

You'll also like my rajma tikki (Indian style red kidney bean burgers).

Ingredients

Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans - This recipe is made using home cooked chickpeas (first soaked then cooked in the Instant Pot). You may use canned chickpeas too.

For the best results make sure to rinse and drain your chickpeas, then pat them dry using a kitchen tissue paper or leave them in the colander or on a clean kitchen towel for a couple of hours to drain the moisture. This will help prevent your chickpea burgers/cakes from falling apart.

Sun-dried Tomatoes - They add lovely tang to this recipe and keeps falafels tender in the centre. Sun-dried tomatoes are available in most of the supermarkets. They comes in a jar stored in oil and dried herbs.

Also available in dried form too (without oil).

Herbs - I have used a combination of cilantro/coriander, basil and parsley. You can leave out any of the herb if it is not available or don't like the taste of it.

Nuts -I have added a handful of cashew nuts. I always love to use broken cashews whenever I am going to grind them. If you are not a fan of cashew nuts replace with almonds, hazelnuts or any other kind of seeds.

Onion-garlic - I have used red onions but feel free to use white, yellow or green onions. A small amount of garlic. If fresh onion or garlic is not on hand, use garlic paste/puree/powder/granules.

Spices - I have not used any exotic spices in this recipe. Only a pinch of red chilli flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Feel free to use cumin, coriander or even a tiny pinch of cardamom if you fancy.

Porridge Oats - For extra crispy layer and to add crunch I have used oats. To keep these gluten-free skip it totally or use gluten-free oats.

How to make the best Chickpea Patties/Cakes

Ensure you dry off as much moisture from your chickpeas as possible. See how to reduce moisture from your chickpeas above in the Ingredients section.

First place sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onion and cashews in the food processor bowl and pulse it a number of times. Stop once you see mouldable mixture. Don't over process to avoid creating a smooth texture like paste or hummus.

Then add herbs (make sure herbs are without mature stems) and chickpeas and other spices. Pulse a couple of times until you have a mouldable mixture again.

Place the mixture, in the refrigerator for half an hour (if not in hurry to make).

Take a scoop of mixture, and mould them into round patty shape and roll into oats.

Cook them on the stove top, air fry or bake them.

Chickpea patties in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer at 190C for 5 minutes.

Place the tin foil in the air fryer basket then place chickpea burgers on top. Spray with oil and air fry 8 minutes.

Turn half way though spray oil on the exposed side and air fry again.

Once light golden, remove.

Pan Fried Chickpea Burgers

Heat non-stick or skillet pan over a medium heat.

When the pan is hot, carefully place the patties and fry with a very little oil on both side until light golden.

Oven Baked Burgers

Spray the patties with oil and then place them in the oven at 200C to bake for 25 minutes, making sure to flip them after 10-15 minutes.

Tips for the perfect Sun-dried chickpea cakes

Remove as much as liquid/moisture from the chickpeas before starting this recipe. You can do so by placing the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or leave it in the colander for a couple of hours.

Dry them manually using a kitchen paper towel or if you have some time on your hand dry off them on a hot skillet (low heat) in the oven or air fry for 5 minutes to help cook off some moisture.

Don't over process the mixture, if you do you'll end up with hummus. We want a mixture that is mouldable yet has great texture inside too.

Make sure to brush or spray oil before you put them in the oven/air fryer to achieve lovely golden colour.

Serving Suggestion

Enjoy as it is for a healthy meal with salad or grilled vegetables and air fryer sweetcorn or air fryer chunky chips/fries

Serve them on a wholemeal burger bun, tortilla or pitta bread with a variety of toppings such as tomatoes, cucumber and shredded red or white cabbage for a healthy and filling meal.

Devour them on their own dipped in garlic lemon tahini sauce or mint and yogurt sauce with fresh salad and sometimes with oven-baked sweet potato wedges.

Why not serve them in a bowl with cooked brown rice or quinoa and additional greens and raw vegetables.

Enjoy with salad.

How to store Chickpea Cakes

You can store prepared mixture in the fridge for up to 2 days.

You can store these Chickpea bites for later or for meal prep. Once completely cooled place them in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat put them in the oven or pan fry until thoroughly cooked.

You can also freeze these bites, cooked or uncooked. First lay them in single layer on the baking sheet, once frozen put them in the airtight container.

If meal prepping I like to serve them with Turkish Tadka Hummus, Instant Pot Orzo Salad and fresh salad.

FAQs

Can I use canned chickpeas?

Yes, you can. Make sure you rinse first to remove extra salt then drain and dry off.

Are these chickpea bites vegan and gluten-free?

These chickpea bites are suitable for vegans, but not gluten-free. To make gluten-free skip oats or use gluten-free oats.

Why my chickpea patties falling apart?

There could be two reasons for that your patties not binding or your dough is not coming together. It could be that your mixture has lots of moisture in it - add a spoonful of wholemeal flour, extra oats or for gluten-free version add dry roasted gram flour.

Second reason that your mixture could be very dry-in this case add a tablespoon of tahini or water.

Notes :-
Make sure water is well drained from the cooked chickpeas to reduce moisture.

Ground almonds can be used instead of cashews.

These cakes freeze well.

Other Vegan Chickpea Recipes

1. Chickpea coconut curry
2. Roasted carrot, chickpea with lime and coriander vinaigrette
3. Easy Instant Pot Indian Chickpea Rice
4. Indian Chickpea Salad

Sundried Tomato Chickpea Cakes/Patties

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These Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Cakes/Patties are flavourful and have a delicious tang and herby flavor to them similar to falafel. Easy to make with handful of simple ingredients and great to prep for lunches for the week.

Course Entree, lunch

Cuisine American, gluten-free, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12 pieces

Author Hayley Dhanecha

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 250 g chickpeas cooked and well drained
• 100 g sun dried tomatoes
• 1 small red onion roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp. coriander basil leaves and parsley (fresh)
• 3 tbsp. cashew nuts
• 4 tbsp. rolled oats
• salt to taste
• Black pepper
• Red chilli flakes
• 3 tablespoon Oil I used leftover oil from the sun dried tomato

Instructions

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• Place sun dried tomatoes, garlic, onion and cashews in a food processor and pulse few times.
• Add chickpeas to a food processor along with coriander or basil leaves and once again pulse just a few times. ( don't make a paste, leave it little chunky )
• Add black pepper, red chilli flakes and salt per your liking. ( maybe you will need less salt as sun dried tomatoes already have salt or if you are using canned chickpeas )
• Combine well, and rest the mixture wrapped in cling film in a fridge for half an hour minimum. ( if you want to prepare straight away, maybe you need to add one spoon wholemeal flour )
• Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.
• Scoop about ¼ cup mixture per cake and make round patty.
• Roll them in oats.
• Add 3-4 cakes and pan fry each side until lightly golden.
• Repeat with remaining cakes.
• Serve with lots of fresh salad or with your favourite toppings.

Notes

Must remove as much as liquid/moisture from the chickpeas before starting this recipe. You can do so by placing the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or leave it in the colander for a couple of hours. 

Dry them manually using a kitchen paper towel or if you have some time on your hand dry off them on a hot skillet (low heat) in the oven or air fry for 5 minutes to help cook off some moisture. 

Don't over process the mixture, if you do you'll end up with hummus. We want a mixture that is moldable yet has great texture inside too. 

Make sure to brush or spray oil before you put them in the oven/air fryer to achieve lovely golden colour. 

Nutrition

Serving: 12piece | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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