Finger food

Finger Foods
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

Spicy chickpea patties (recipe can be found on the whole foods website i believe...or their book). On the right side of the patties are potato samosas (i haven't forgotten to post the recipe for my samosas, just haven't made them from scratch in a while...i freeze them in large batches...i haven't forgotten anonymous asker of my recipe :-). On the left side are feta cheese samboosas. I tried a new recipe and neither of us liked them very much. For some reason we don't care much for arab recipes...at least the ones i've tried.

In the ramekin is a yummy mango cole slaw. Not a super healthy dinner but very yummy. The chickpea patties rocked! So did the mango "slaw". Samosas always rock.


Whole Foods' Spicy Chickpea Patties with Cilantro, Lime, and Chilies

Ingredients
1/8 cup canola or olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour (or wheat flour)
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 scallions, minced
juice of 2 limes
salt to taste

chickpea (besan) flour (or you could use wheat i guess) for dusting cakes
vegetable oil for spraying pan
cucumber raita (recipe follows)

In a large nonstick pan, heat the canola or olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeño, curry powder, and cumin for 3 minutes, until the onion is softened. Transfer the spice mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard S blade, and process for 20 seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas, chickpea (or wheat) flour, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, and salt.

Continue to process for 20 seconds more, until the mixture is coarsely chopped, well combined, and has formed a thick paste. The paste should be firm enough to be scooped and shaped into small patties. After making the patties, lightly dust them with chickpea flour.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and spray it with the vegetable oil. Sauté the patties for 4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. For an even crispier patty, place one on a sheet pan for 10 minutes in the center of a 375˚F oven. Serve with cucumber-mint raita (recipe follows).

CUCUMBER-MINT RAITA

Ingredients
1 large peeled cucumber, halved, seeded, coarsely grated
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:
Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.