3 Easy Vegan Patties with Chickpea Flour
Chickpea flour is a genius egg replacer, whisked with water into a smooth batter, it binds vegetables together into patties that are light, tender, and never crumbly. Once you’ve got the technique down, you can apply it to pretty much any vegetables in your fridge.
Here are three of my favorite variations: pea and cauliflower with curry, broccoli and leek, and Swiss chard with herbs. All three are vegan, gluten-free, and come together quickly.
Why You’ll Love These Recipes:
- Chickpea flour replaces eggs completely, no fillers, no funny textures
- Three flavor-packed variations, fry or bake depending on the recipe
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Freeze beautifully after cooking, great for meal prep
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Chickpea flour – whisked with water into a smooth batter, this is what binds all three recipes together instead of eggs.
- Vegetables – once you know the ratio of chickpea flour to water, feel free to swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Pro Tips for Success:
- These patties freeze beautifully once cooked. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a container or bag, this keeps them from sticking together.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying, the patties puff up slightly as they cook.
- Serve with a dip on the side: yogurt and mint, tahini, tomato salsa, or pesto all work well.
Looking for more tasty recipes?
- Vegan Quinoa and Beet Patties
- Crispy Chickpea Flour Vegetable Pakoras (Tempura-Style)
- Easy and Delicious Red Lentil Patties
- Vegan Black Lentil Patties with Mushrooms
Pea and Cauliflower Patties with Curry
Really, really (really!) tasty, these fried patties have a wonderful texture since the cauliflower and peas stay whole (not processed into a paste). Every bite has something to chew on, warmly spiced with curry powder and turmeric.
Pea and Cauliflower Patties with Curry
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ head cauliflower coarsely grated or sliced into small, similar-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ½ bunch cilantro (about 1 cup) chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ cups chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (at least ½ tsp salt)
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Sauté the cauliflower: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onion, cauliflower, crushed garlic, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the cauliflower softens slightly.
- Cook the peas: At the same time, place the peas in a small pot and cover with boiling water. Bring to a second boil and cook for 5 more minutes. Drain.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the chickpea flour and water together until smooth. Add the cooked cauliflower and onion, the peas, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper, and mix well. The batter will be a bit loose, that's normal.
- Fry: Heat oil in a skillet to about ¼-inch (0.5cm) deep. With clean hands, form 2-inch (5cm) patties and carefully place them in the pan. Don't overcrowd, they puff up as they cook. Fry for 3 minutes on one side, then carefully flip, they firm up as they cook so handle them gently when flipping, and fry for another 2 minutes. They'll continue to firm up a bit more as they cool. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve: Serve hot or cold, ideally with a dip on the side, yogurt and mint is a great match.
Notes:
- Keep the cauliflower pieces small and similar in size, if they’re too large, the patties can fall apart.
- The batter will look a bit loose after mixing, that’s expected.
- Use any oil you like for frying. Shallow frying gives the best results, about ¼ inch (0.5cm) of oil.
- The patties are delicate while frying and firm up as they cook (and a bit more as they cool), flip them gently.
Did you make this recipe? Let me knowLeave a comment or share it on Instagram and tag #thehappylentils
Baked Broccoli and Leek Patties
These bake in the oven rather than fry, so they’re a bit lighter and even easier to make ahead.
Baked Broccoli and Leek Patties
Ingredients:
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 cup leek well washed and coarsely chopped
- ½ bunch parsley
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- ¾ cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (at least ½ tsp salt)
- Oil spray
Instructions:
- Prep the oven: Preheat to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with oil to prevent sticking.
- Process the vegetables: In a food processor, combine the broccoli, leek, parsley, and ground flaxseed. Pulse into a crumbly mixture.
- Shape the patties: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the chickpea flour and water together until smooth. Add the broccoli mixture, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Using clean, wet hands, form patties about 2-inch (5cm) in diameter, and place on the prepared, oiled baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with oil as well.
- Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
- Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with a dip on the side
Notes:
- Flaxseed is neutral in flavor here, it just helps the patties hold together. Store it in the freezer to keep it fresh.
Did you make this recipe? Let me knowLeave a comment or share it on Instagram and tag #thehappylentils
Swiss Chard and Herb Patties
Bright with fresh parsley and cilantro, these come together fast, and the sautéed chard adds a subtle earthiness.
Swiss Chard and Herb Patties
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch Swiss chard well washed and cut into thin strips
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (at least ½ tsp salt)
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Cook the chard: Place the chard strips in a pot and cover with boiling water. Bring to a second boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain well and squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can, this keeps the batter from getting too wet.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the chickpea flour and water together until smooth. Add the cooked chard, parsley, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper, and stir well.
- Fry: Heat oil in a skillet to about ¼-inch (0.5cm) deep, over medium heat. Carefully spoon a tablespoon of batter into the pan and gently flatten with a spoon. Repeat until the pan is full. Fry for 2 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve: Serve hot or at room temperature, ideally with a dip on the side.
Notes:
- Squeezing out the excess liquid from the cooked chard is an important step, skipping it makes the batter too wet and the patties harder to fry.
- Use any oil you like for frying. Shallow frying (about ¼-inch/0.5cm of oil) gives the best results.
Did you make this recipe? Let me knowLeave a comment or share it on Instagram and tag #thehappylentils
