Harissa Chickpea Burgers with Cucumber Mint Yogurt Sauce

Last night was the first time in a while that the Monkey Scientist and I were in town at the same time as his roommate.  We decided to celebrate by making a little family dinner.  His roommate loves chickpeas so I knew when I sent him this recipe that he would interested.

The hardest part of this whole recipe was finding harissa.  We finally were able to find it at the mediterranean market/restaurant in Cleveland Park.  They just received a shipment so if you live in DC this is the place to go!

We really enjoyed this recipe. It was perfectly spicy - perfect for me and the MS's roommate, although of course the Monkey Scientist added sriracha on top.  I'm convinced he isn't satified with a meal unless his lips are burning!  I particularly like the pistachios.  That's something I've never included in chickpea burgers I've made before. I loved the yogurt sauce as well.  It's similar to a tzatziki, but with lots of fresh mint.  It was a great and fairly quick weeknight meal (with yummy roasted asparagus)!



Harissa Chickpea Burgers with Cucumber Mint Yogurt Sauce
from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients
burgers
1/2 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tablespoons harissa
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pistachios, unsalted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
yogurt sauce
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, diced
3 tablespoons mint, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
2. When soft, add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and harissa, along with two tablespoons of water. Mix until combined and until it resembles a thick wet paste.
3. In a food processor, add the shallot/spice mixture, chickpeas, pistachios and salt; pulse until roughly chopped. Using a spatula, scrape down sides and pulse one or two times. Taste for salt (1 teaspoon was perfect for me); add more, if you like. Remove half of the mixture and transfer to a bowl. Add the egg to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is nearly smooth. Add the mixture from the food processor to the bowl and combine both mixtures.
4. Fold in the bread crumbs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, cucumber, mint and lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture onto your palm and form the patties. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush it generously with olive oil. Cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Serve the burgers on burger buns or fresh soft pita (we toasted our pita in the oven).

Yields 6 burgers