Check out these spicy burgers made with cannellini beans - they're great for vegetarians.
Ingredients
- 100g couscous
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 420g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg, beaten
- Crusty buns, salad and sweet chilli sauce or ketchup, to serve
Method
- 1. Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl, pour over 100ml boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.
- 2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for 5 minutes, then add the cumin seeds and coriander and cook for 1 minute.
- 3. Empty the beans into a large bowl and mash well with a potato masher to make a coarse paste. Stir in the onion mixture, couscous, coriander leaves, lemon zest, beaten egg and plenty of salt and pepper. Firmly shape the mixture (don’t worry if it feels moist, because the egg will set with the heat) into 4 even-sized cakes. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 4. Heat the remaining oil in the same large, non-stick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden – take care when turning as the burgers are delicate. Serve between split crusty buns with salad and sweet chilli sauce or ketchup.
Chef's tip
These are best made a day ahead and chilled in the fridge.