Curried Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber Relish

So if you guys read Vegan Dad, this will look slightly familiar. This is loosely loosely based off of his recipe. I had to make several adjustments, and the result probably doesn't taste anything like the original recipe. I can't even remember what went in the Vegan Dad's chickpea cakes. These turned out pretty good, and I don't know if you can tell but they turned out a bit like fritters. I used flour in this recipe, creating a real thick batter consistency with the smashed chickpeas. I was a bit uncertain, but it turned out pretty tasty.

Chickpea Cakes

2 cups cooked chickpeas

1 tbl soy sauce

1 tbl chili garlic sauce

1 tsp panang curry powder

1/2 tsp paprika (I am in Hungary after all!)

1 med. shallot, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 tbl flour

enough water to get a THICK batter consistency - so not too much

Cucumber Relish

1/2 cucumber, diced

1/2 small red pepper, diced

1 shallot

2 tsp white vinegar

1-2 tsp sugar (or any sweetener)

The batter is easy, you just want to smash the chickpeas - but not necessarily make them into pulp. Dump all the ingredients in and taste as you go along, adjusting for spice level. Your batter shouldn't get too runny - but hey! Maybe you feel like experimenting. Fry the batter up in a generous amount of cooking oil, and make sure your pan is hot. I made little guys - maybe 1.5 to 2 tbl at a time.

Serve with the relish, which couldn't be easier to make - just mix all the ingredients! Enjoy with good company, preferably not a midterm paper though like I did. What a buzz kill.

Ugh, and apologies about the horrible photo. My camera was running out of battery, that was the best I got.

Sweet Potato Spring Curry

This is an ode to Spring! Try this meal out when you're sitting on your porch. I swear it makes it taste better. The sweet potato and coconut milk are perfect with the spiciness of the curry. This is a great light dish with a ton of aroma. We served this with some Jasmine rice, but I didn't need too much because this dish is more like a soup than a heavy curry. I would have loved to add some lemongrass if I had some on hand. 

Sweet Potato Spring Curry

1 large sweet potato (or yam), cubed 

2 cups of firm tofu, cubed

1 1/2 cups of sugar snap peas

1 large red bell pepper

1 small onion, chopped in large pieces

3-4 cups water

1 can of coconut milk

2 tsp Better than Bouillon 

2 tsp of Thai red curry paste

1 1/2 tbl chili garlic sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 tbl ginger

cilantro chopped for serving

green onion chopped for serving

Vegetable oil and sesame oil for cooking

In a large pot saute the sweet potatoes and onion in vegetable oil and a bit of sesame oil for aroma. Add ginger and garlic. After about 5 minutes add the water, bouillon, curry paste, chili sauce.  Add the coconut milk and blend in. 

After about 20 minutes add the sugar snap peas, tofu and bell pepper. After about 10 minutes it's done! Sprinkle green onion and cilantro on top. Serve with a side of jasmine rice. Enjoy this tasty spring dish!