Chickpea Cakes

From Lucid Foods cookbook, by Louisa Shafia

Makes approximately 10 cakes

2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for frying
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. dried mint
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs

Heat in a large skillet and add 2 tbsp. of olive oil, followed by the onion. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, jalapeno, coriander, cumin, mint, turmeric, and cayenne, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chickpeas. Let cool.

Put the mixture in a food processor and pulse until the chickpeas are broken down, but the mixtures still has texture. Fold in the salt, egg, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Refirgerate the mixture for 20 minutes so it can firm up and cool completely, making it easier to form into patties.

Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs onto a plate. Form 3 tablespoons of the mixture into a ball. Flatten the ball against your palm, shapint it into a cake. Dredge the cake in the bread crumbs. heat a skillet with 1/4 inch of olive oil. When the oil is hot, drop in several cakes and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on a wire cooling rack. if you prefer to bake the cakes preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the cakes on an oiled, parchment-lined baking sheet and brush each one with a little olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, then roate the pan and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cakes are brown on top and crisp. Serve hot.