PAKORA BEAN BURGER S WITH RA IT A AND SWEET POTATO CHIPS

A classic bean burger meets an Indian pakora.

Serves two Plant score: 14 Fibre per serving: 26g Protein per serving: 28g

INGREDIENTS

½ red onion, finely sliced 150g coarsely grated carrot

2 large sweet potatoes ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

(optional)

1 clove of garlic, finely

chopped

1½ tbsp curry paste of the heat you prefer, plus more to taste

1 x 400g can black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed 3 tbsp chickpea ( gram) flour, plus extra for tweaking Small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 lemon

For the raita

¼ cucumber

4 tbsp plain soya yogurt 4 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp black onion seeds

(optional)

To serve

2 wholegrain burger buns

1 tomato, sliced Handful of salad leaves

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. ➤Put the onion and carrot in a large saucepan with three tablespoons of water

and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Add a dash more water if they look like catching at any point, but you want the excess water to have been driven off by the heat.

➤Meanwhile, cut the sweet potatoes into long, thin fries. Lay them on a non-stick baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil (if using), and season lightly with salt and pepper. Turn

and mix to coat. ➤Add the garlic and curry paste to the carrots and

cook for two more minutes. Remove from the heat and tip in the beans, chickpea flour and coriander. Mix everything

together aggressively – use a potato masher a few

times if you like – to smash up the beans. Taste and tweak to your liking with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. If the mix is a bit too wet to handle, mix in more chickpea flour until it just comes

together. Form the mixture into two large flat burgers, about 2cm thick.

➤Heat a dry non-stick frying pan and fry the burgers for about two minutes on each side, until lightly coloured. Transfer to a baking tray.

➤Place the tray of sweet potatoes on the top shelf of the oven. Put the burgers on the shelf below. Cook the burgers for 10 minutes, until piping hot, and cook

the fries for about 15 minutes, or until nicely coloured, turning once. ➤ In the meantime, make the raita. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds with the tip of a teaspoon.

Coarsely grate the cucumber flesh and use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Place the flesh in a bowl with the yogurt, mint and onion seeds and mix well.

➤When everything is ready, slice open the buns and sit some sliced tomato and salad leaves on the bottom halves. Add the burgers and a generous spoonful of raita, then top with the remaining bun halves. Serve alongside

the fries.