Most nights I can sit at the dinner table, close my eyes and instantly be transported to a fairy tale. Oh! I hear you exclaim with envy, ‘SHE HAS THE PERFECT LIFE!’.
But you’d be wrong, because unfortunately I’m not in the midst of a good Cinderella-type tale, with romance, makeovers and awesome frocks (have you seen the rude Tinderella version? Very funny.) No, I get taken straight to the story with the most annoying of annoying characters around – Goldilocks and the 3 bears. With eyes shut, my dinner companions all suddenly morph into Goldilockses, all criticism and complaints about the meal before them.
“This is too hot!”
“This is too spicy!”
“This doesn’t have enough flavour!”
“I think I saw a speck of pepper!”
“This sauce doesn’t match my underpants!”
Etc, etc, etc.
But every now and then a recipe comes along that has my entire family gushing with praise, declaring it, ‘Just right’. And thankfully, this is one of those recipes. It is a gorgeous bit of kitchen alchemy. My fairy godmother tip to you is to bake the kumura to give you a rich, sweet base.
Abracadabra. Enjoy.
Serve this on rice for a more substantial meal.
Goldilocks chickpea patties
Feeds: 2 adults & 2 small kids, served on rice with salad
Allergy info: Vegan. Free from gluten, egg, dairy.
Substitutions?: I think this recipe is pretty perfect as is.
Freeze?: No.
Prep ahead?: Kumura mash can store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Prepared patties can be refrigerated until it’s time to cook.
Why I like it: Simple, vegie-packed, delicious. A perfect meat-free Monday recipe.
Smuggling rating: 9/10 – vegies hidden in vegies, all fried up a bit crispy.
1 1/2 cups mashed kumura (orange sweet potato)
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed, drained
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sumac (available on the spice stand at good fruit markets) OR use the zest of half a lemon
1/4 cup besan (chickpea flour) – for rolling.
Oil for frying (I like about 1/4 cup of olive oil)
To get the kumura mash, chuck a whole kumura into your oven at 180C for 50-60 minutes until squishy. (Any leftovers are great added to spag bol, or mixed into sweet muffins).
In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas and mix through the vegies and spices. Form golf ball size patties and dunk in the chickpea flour.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil (be generous) and once hot, add a few patties to the pan. Turn when golden (you’ll probably need to cook them for about 3 minutes either side.)
Serve with salad, lemon & a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Vegie Smugglers 
Mrs P said,
January 12, 2015 @ 2:45 pm
I love your titles, and the Tinderella clip, the great recipe was the cherry on top!
Cheers!
wendyblume said,
January 12, 2015 @ 4:49 pm
Gotta keep you coming back for more…. 🙂
Mrs P said,
February 8, 2015 @ 7:48 pm
Always 🙂
Kada said,
January 12, 2015 @ 4:44 pm
Alternatively, poke holes in kumara and microwave for a couple of minutes until squishy! 🙂
Love the recipe. Looking forward to trying it out.
wendyblume said,
January 12, 2015 @ 4:49 pm
Yes, this works if you’re short on time, but the oven roasting brings out a sweetness that is really crucial (I think!).
Libby said,
January 12, 2015 @ 6:49 pm
These look great!! Will give a go!
Interested in your latest book as an ebook. Any ideas when it will be available, don’t really want the hard copy.
wendyblume said,
January 12, 2015 @ 8:40 pm
Hi Libby – usually I get the opposite request! I’ll have vs1 as an ebook by mid year and kitchen collection by the end of the year. 🙂
katie poli said,
January 12, 2015 @ 11:30 pm
The recipe sounds delish – thanks! Are you familiar with Rindercella? My dad used to tell us a nice clean version but this one makes me snort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_aYPX-zO4A (there is a kinda language warning – you’ll understand when you see it!
kazatmeltingmoments said,
January 22, 2015 @ 4:53 pm
This recipe looks fab! Making it!
Nat said,
January 23, 2015 @ 6:17 pm
I made these tonight. Delicious, but too soft. Barely held a patty shape. What did I do wrong?
wendyblume said,
January 24, 2015 @ 7:36 am
I make them quite small, since the sweet potato is soft and there aren’t any ingredients that make them really ‘firm’. My kids love them with rice – by the end of the meal they’re all smooshing in together. If you’re after a vegie pattie for a burger, you should check out my felafel burgers… https://vegiesmugglers.com.au/2014/04/29/searching-for-food-joy-for-the-whole-family/