Hot-and-spicy chickpea cakes

2
Points®
Total Time
40 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Moderate
Chickpeas are the star of this dish. Their firm texture and mild, nutlike flavor complement the rest of the flavors in this side that can also double as an appetizer. For the best flavor and presentation, be sure to use high-quality refrigerated fresh salsa that can usually be found in the produce section. You can vary the heat but choosing mild, medium, or hot as well as adjusting the amount of hot sauce you use inside the cakes. (You can omit the hot sauce altogether for a mild cake.) Chilling the chickpea mixture makes forming the patties easier, and coating the cakes in cornmeal before pan-frying them adds a nice introductory crunch.

Ingredients

Canned chickpeas

15 oz

Reduced fat sour cream

cup(s)

Garlic

4 clove(s), peeled

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Green chili sauce

¾ tsp

Self rising white cornmeal

6 Tbsp

Salsa

1½ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, sour cream, garlic, cumin, salt, hot sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal; scrape into a bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, about 30 minutes.
  2. Form the mixture into 6 (3-inch) round cakes, about 1/2-inch thick. Put the remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a plate, and coat the cakes on both sides with the cornmeal.
  3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with olive-oil nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook until browned on the bottom, 5–6 minutes. Spray the tops of the cakes, turn them over, and cook until brown on the other side, about 5 minutes longer. Spoon the salsa onto each of 6 plates, then top with a bean cake.