038 / 75 · Beans, Lentils and Chickpeas

Chickpea Millet Patties with Cucumber Dip

8 patties and cucumber-yogurt dip; 2 meals of 4 patties with half the dip · Active 45 min · Total 1 hr 50 min

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Cooked millet can bind a chickpea patty when it is soft enough to mash, rather than fluffy and separate. These patties pair that grain with crushed canned chickpeas, one egg and a little dry breadcrumb. A cucumber-yogurt dip adds a cool contrast. The useful lesson is getting a mixture to hold together before frying; extra heat cannot rescue a patty that falls apart as it leaves the spoon.

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Original hand-drawn illustration of chickpea millet patties with cucumber dip.

Choose a soft grain texture

The measured water makes a softer millet than a light grain salad would need. Let it finish covered, then spread it thinly to lose steam. It should be cool enough not to start cooking the egg when mixed. Crush the chickpeas with a fork, keeping some small pieces but no large mass of untouched whole beans. The sticky cooked grain, egg and breadcrumbs share the binding job; none needs to become a perfectly smooth purée.

Make the first shape a useful check

Refrigerate the mixture briefly before portioning, then divide it into eight equal amounts. Press one into a compact disc with no deep cracks around the edge. If a few dry crumbs remain, work them into the mixture with damp hands. Do not turn a barely set patty repeatedly. Let the first side develop a crust so a wide spatula can support it, and cook four at a time in the specified pan rather than squeezing in all eight.

Keep the dip out of the frying pan

Squeeze the grated cucumber before weighing its prepared amount; excess cucumber water makes a thin dip. Stir it into the yogurt only after squeezing and keep the bowl chilled. Divide the finished patties and dip as written for the estimate. The full measured frying oil is counted even if a little remains in the pan, and the dry millet weight is used rather than mistaking the heavier cooked grain for another portion of dry cereal.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup dry millet (60 g)
  • 3/4 cup water (180 ml)
  • About 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240 g edible)
  • 1 large egg, beaten (about 50 g without shell)
  • 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (30 g)
  • 1 small onion, very finely grated or minced (50 g)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (10 g)
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil (20 ml/about 18 g), divided
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain nonfat Greek yogurt (200 g)
  • About 1 small cucumber, grated and squeezed lightly before weighing (150 g prepared)
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice (20 ml/about 20 g), divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.6 g), divided

Set out

Small saucepan with tight lid, Plate for cooling millet, Large mixing bowl, Small bowl for dip, 26 cm/10-inch nonstick skillet, Wide spatula, Fork, Clean kitchen cloth or sieve for cucumber, Kitchen scale, Food thermometer, 2 plates, Fine sieve for rinsing millet

Allergens

Egg, Wheat, Milk; check breadcrumb labels for other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Rinse millet in a fine sieve. Bring the 3/4 cup (180 ml) water to a boil in the small saucepan, add millet, cover and simmer very gently for 18–20 minutes, or until soft and the water is absorbed. If still firm, add a small splash of boiling water and continue. Stand covered off the heat for 10 minutes, then spread on a plate and cool for 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
  2. Mash drained chickpeas in the mixing bowl with a fork, leaving only small pieces. Mix in cooled millet, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, half the lemon juice, two-thirds of the salt and half the pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb moisture.
  3. Meanwhile squeeze the grated cucumber and weigh 150 g. Stir into yogurt with the remaining lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate the dip until serving.
  4. Weigh the finished patty mixture and divide it into 8 equal portions. Press into compact discs about 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) wide and 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick.
  5. Heat half the oil in the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook for 5–6 minutes per side, turning once with a wide spatula, until golden and the centers reach 160°F/71°C. Put the first batch on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining oil and 4 patties. Serve 4 patties per person with half the cold dip.

A useful kitchen skill

Cool a cooked binding ingredient before mixing in egg, and test a compact patty shape before heating the pan.

A useful detail

This is not a twenty-minute canned-bean recipe: the 110-minute total includes millet cooking, covered rest, cooling, mixture chilling and two frying batches. A small sieve is required for rinsing millet; allow longer if its packet needs it.

Another way

  • Replace parsley with 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped dill for a different dip-friendly flavor; estimate changes slightly.
  • Use 200 g plain whole-milk yogurt instead of nonfat Greek yogurt, squeezing the cucumber particularly well; the dip is thinner and nutrition differs.

Keep it well

Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Refrigerate cooked patties and dip separately and use within 3 days. Reheat patties to 165°F/74°C throughout; keep the dip cold. Freeze cooked patties for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator. Freezing the dip is not recommended for texture.