Crispy Bean Cakes With Harissa, Lemon and Herbs
Published August 25, 2020
Beatriz Da Costa for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Frances Boswell.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 (15-ounce) cans beans, such as black-eyed peas, chickpeas, pinto, kidney or black beans, drained (about 3 cups)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped, plus more for garnish
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more for garnish
¼ cup sliced scallions
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon harissa, plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
1 egg white
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
Labneh or full-fat Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
47 grams carbs; 5 milligrams cholesterol; 450 calories; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 16 grams fiber; 753 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place the drained beans in a large bowl and crush using a fork or your fingers until coarsely mashed. Add the cilantro, dill, scallions, cornstarch, harissa, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest and stir to incorporate. Alternatively, you can incorporate ingredients using a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy and fold it into the bean mixture. Cover the mixture and refrigerate to chill slightly, at least 15 minutes, before shaping and frying.
- Step 3
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, use a ¼-cup measure to scoop portions of the bean mixture into the oil. Using the flat surface of the cup, press each scooped portion to tightly pack and shape it into a ¼-inch-thick patty. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn using a wide spatula, and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Remove cooked cakes from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the bean mixture is used, adding the remaining oil and removing any loose bits from the skillet as necessary. Return the bowl to the refrigerator in between batches to keep the mixture chilled.
- Step 5
Serve lemon wedges alongside the crispy cakes for squeezing. Garnish with dollops of labneh, if using, additional fresh herbs and harissa for dipping.
Private Notes
Comments
In case one is looking for a VEGAN version try 3 Tbl. water & 1 Tbl either ground flax seeds of whole chia seeds & whisk instead of the egg white. It's called a 'flax egg' or 'chia egg' & works very well in most egg applications!
Use the water from the chickpeas to replace the egg white.
Made these with kidney beans. Omitted the salt since the harissa I have is on the salty side, but used a heaping tbsp of harissa. Used the whole egg like others. I baked these and they came out well! Coated a foil-lined sheet pan with 2 tbsp walnut oil. 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turned it up to 425 since they weren’t getting crispy. Cooked for another 10 then flipped and cooked on the other side for another 10. Browned nicely and were tasty. Would definitely make these again.
I was going to make the falafel recipe but realized I didn't have dried chickpeas. So I searched for a bean cake recipe and found this! Used red curry paste, kidney beans, 1 teaspoon of dried dill and fresh cilantro. Used shallot and flax egg. Fried in cast iron with avo oil. Just plop a big tablespoon into the pan and when you flip, press down to form flat patty. Spicy and tasty. Good cold. Next time I'll experiment using other types of beans.
We liked these a lot. I want to remake already, using more harissa. The one I have is a spice powder blend that tends to be quite hot. I reconstitute with 1T oil and 1T harissa powder. But I wish I'd used more. The texture was great. Like others, I baked, on 400.
I messed these up in every possible way. No fresh herbs, one whole egg, beans left very coarse, didn’t chill batter. Due to my own mistakes, my cakes didn’t remain entirely whole during cooking. That said- I would still eat them daily. The flavors were delicious. I only tested a few, so will go back and squish and chill my batter, but they were hot, crispy, and soooo flavorful! I topped with some zaatar labneh and they were crave worthy! I would say if you can mess up this much and still have a great dish, it’s a keeper!