Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbs. olive oil ($0.25)
1½ c. onions, minced ($1.00)
3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.10)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 c. carrot, finely chopped or shredded ($0.75)
1¾ c. cooked and drained chickpeas (about 1 can) ($0.65)
1½ Tbs. tahini or peanut butter
¼ c. parsley, minced
1/3 c. white flour*
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase)

Instructions

If you have a food processor, make it work for you.
Process the onions just enough to get them chopped, then sauté them in oil for about five minutes.
Meanwhile, shred carrots to fill one cup in your food processor and mince the garlic. Garlic’s health benefits are best five minutes after mincing, so try chopping them first, then the carrots.
Add the carrots and cumin to the onions for a minute, then the garlic for one last minute, stirring frequently.
Process the cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) into a paste, add the sauteed vegetables and process briefly.
Stir in peanut butter/tahini and parsley. (If using fresh parsley, process it before the chickpeas.)
No food processor? You can use a hand blender or even a potato masher to smash the chickpeas and simply stir in the remaining ingredients. Be sure to finely chop the onions and shred or very finely chop the carrots if you don’t have a tool to blend them into the mixture. I love my Pampered Chef hand chopper for jobs like that!
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, then stir into chickpeas.
Fry small, thin patties in oil over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, until just beginning to brown.
Turn over and fry the other side until browned, crispy is optimal.

Notes

Not sure what kind of fat/oil to use for sauteeing or frying? See this comprehensive list of fats and oils and how to use them.

Any flour will work, including brown rice flour or 1 Tbs. coconut flour (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!) for gluten-free. To stay GF, use a GF tortilla or a corn tortilla, or serve over lettuce or corn chips.

Total cost: about $3, plus <$1 for tortillas = 75 cents per person

Healthy Upgrades: You could easily sneak a few more veggies in, like gently steamed spinach or fresh red peppers. Once you’re putting dinner into a food processor anyway, it’s a great time to hide some nutrient-packed extras!

Optional: Start with dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans, cook and measure at least 1 1/2 cups chickpeas instead of the canned version. Leftover garbanzo beans may be frozen for future use.