Spicy Bean Cutlets
Ingredients
3 tins mixed beans (kidney, butterbeans, cannellini, or chickpeas)
1 carrot grated (optional)
8 mushrooms finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 level tsp cumin powder
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp chilli flakes/powder to taste
1 tsp salt
1 egg beaten (or use chickpea flour as a vegan alternative)
Cooking Steps
Step 1
Drain the beans in a colander, rinse well and mash with a potato masher.
Finely chop the mushrooms and onion and set aside.
Step 2
Add 2 tbsp oil to a frying pan and fry the onion slowly until it begins to caramelise but not browned. Stir in the chopped garlic and salt and fry for a few minutes. Add the chopped mushroom and continue to cook on a high heat until browned. Add the cumin, pepper, chilli flakes and stir well. Turn off the heat and keep the mixture aside to cool.
When cool, add the onion/ mushroom mixture together with the grated carrot to the mashed beans. Knead well with your hands, add an egg to bind, or a couple of spoons of chickpea flour for a vegan alternative. Then add in sufficient breadcrumbs to mix to a firm but not dry consistency.
Mix in the chopped coriander and refrigerate the mixture for 2hrs to absorb all the flavours.
Step 3
To fry: Remove from the fridge, and using a heaped tbsp of the mixture roll into equal balls. Flatten slightly in the palm of your hands to form a cutlet shape or leave as balls.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the cutlets on a fairly high heat until brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft and moist.