Chickpea and Brown Rice Patties

Musing about what to make for dinner a short while back, I came across this recipe for Chickpea and Brown Rice Balls at iRaw's place and just knew I had to try this balanced combination. I've made rice balls on more than a few occasions and plenty of koftas and other fried and baked delights containing chickpeas, but I have never combined the two in this fashion before. I ended up rewriting the recipe almost entirely to include some of my favorites, and came up with this baked version that was a huge success. Thanks to iRaw for the inspiration!

I served these little patties with a Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Paste which proved to be an ideal accompaniment, but if you want something a little less spicy and a bit more saucy, you may wish to consider Cashew Chutney, Fresh Tomato Chutney or perhaps Quick and Easy Tomato Chutney.

These savory little bites do shine bright free of embellishments too. The cheese and spice speak volumes to the palette.

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, hosted this month by Susan, the founder of this popular event.

Baked Chickpea and Brown Rice Patties served with Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Paste

2 cups of cooked chickpeas (roughly 2/3 cup dried)
1 cup of cooked brown rice (roughly 1/2 cup dried)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup of peas, steamed or boiled until just tender
1/2 cup of goat cheese
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
3 - 4 tablespoons of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 - 2/3 cup of whole wheat flour
olive oil

Soak the dried chickpeas in enough water to cover overnight. Soak the rice in 1 cup of water overnight. Drain the chickpeas, transfer to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the chickpeas are tender - roughly one hour. Drain and transfer to a food processor.

Bring the rice to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed - roughly 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Now add the onion, garlic, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, jalapeno peppers, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne and salt to the food processor with the chickpeas. Process until smooth. Now add the parsley, brown rice and peas to the mixture and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer to a bowl and stir in as much flour as you need to get a dough that you can shape into patties.

Coat your hands with some olive oil and shape the mixture into small patties. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops of each patty with a bit of olive oil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn the patties and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Serve hot with sun-dried tomato paste or any other sauce or chutney you desire.

Yields roughly 20 patties.

Related recipes:
Baked Italian Brown Rice Balls
Chickpea Paneer Kofta in a Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce
Spicy Chickpea Kofta
Baked Paneer and Chickpea Cutlets

On the top of the reading stack: The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

Audio accompaniment: Mark Hollis