Yesterday, on the way to my nephew’s preschool graduation in upstate New York, my mom and I stopped at an out of the way deli restaurant because she was hungry and we were early. She ordered a vegetable patty. The patty looked nice, probably not vegan, so I didn’t try it but I couldn’t help thinking about how I might veganize it when I got home. These yummy vegetable cakes are the results.
1 onion
1 cup chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour)
3/4 cups plus one tablespoon water
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables (8 oz) or 1 1/2 cup finely chopped vegetables (carrots, string beans, corn, peas)
tahini dressing
Chop the onion into 1/2 to 1 inch size pieces. Heat a grill pan (I use a 12 inch round cast iron grill for this recipe) on medium. Lightly oil pan with about one teaspoon oil. Add the chopped onions. Spread them out over the pan and cook, moving the pieces around occasionally. The onion pieces should become lightly brown and translucent. If they start to blacken lower the heat. When nicely browned add the frozen or fresh chopped vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
In a medium size bowl mix the chickpea flour and herbs. Whisk in the water and make a smooth batter. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Mix in about half of the vegetables.
Heat the grill pan to medium. Depending on the pan, it may or may not be necessary to add a little more oil. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in the grill pan. I use a small ladle, keeping it very close to the pan surface, pouring it out slowly, to keep the batter shape small and circular. Let it cook until the edges have bubbled and the the top is mostly dry. The center can still be wet, but at least 1 inch of the edge should be dry. With a spatula carefully lift underneath all around the edges, to free it from the pan. The entire piece can be lifted and flipped to cook the other side. Let it cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Keep vegetable cakes warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.e
Serve topped with the remaining vegetables and drizzle with tahini dressing.