Red Lentil Chickpea Burgers with Peanut Sauce

Red Lentil Chickpea Burgers with Peanut Sauce

(I talked about this recipe here)

for the burgers:
3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed for pan frying
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 cup carrots, finely diced or grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs

for the sauce:
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon scallions, chopped

to make the burgers:
Combine lentils and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
Add salt, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and most of the water is gone. The goal is to cook them as dry as possible without sticking - the amount time it takes will be different for everyone (mine take about 40 minutes).
Pour the lentils into a mixing bowl and break them up with a spoon. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the chickpeas slightly, then stir them into the lentils.
Warm 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and carrots, sauté until the carrots soften - about 3 minutes. Add peas, cumin, and coriander, and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Stir the vegetables into the lentil-chickpea mixture. Add parsley, lemon juice, cayenne, and bread crumbs. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes - until cool enough to handle.
Using your hands, form the mixture into six patties. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until firm - at least 30 minutes. (Don't skip this step - if you don't chill the burgers, they will crumble and fall apart when you cook them).
To cook the burgers, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook until golden - 3-4 minutes on each side.

to make the sauce:
Combine peanut butter, curry powder, salt, syrup, ginger, water, lemon juice, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Stir in scallions.

Serve the burgers over rice, in pita bread, on buns, or on their own - anything that strikes your fancy. Spoon peanut sauce over the top.

makes 6 burgers
adapted from: The Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfield