Lamb and Chickpea Lettuce Wrap Burgers
Lamb and Chickpea Lettuce Wrap Burgers offer a delightful twist on traditional burgers, rich flavors of Moroccan cuisine with the healthiness of lettuce wraps. This recipe for four yields eight succulent burgers, each packed with a blend of spices, lamb mince, and chickpeas, creating a perfect balance of taste and texture. The process begins with roasting cherry tomatoes to bring out their sweetness, which complements the spiciness of the burgers. The burger patties are made by processing chickpeas with garlic, spices, and an egg, and then mixed with lamb mince for depth and fullness. After chilling to firm up, they're pan-fried or barbecued to achieve a desirable burnish and a tender medium-rare center. Served in crisp lettuce leaves and topped with a homemade mint-yoghurt dressing, these burgers are not only flavorful but also offer a refreshing crunch. A dash of harissa or chilli sauce adds an extra kick, making each bite a delightful blend of spicy, tangy, and minty flavors.
- 250 grams Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 x 400 gram Tin of chickpeas
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
- ½ Cayenne pepper
- 1 Egg
- 1½ teaspoon Sea salt
- 500 grams Lamb mince
- 150 grams Greek yoghurt
- Handful of fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 8 Leaves of soft lettuce
- Harissa or chilli sauce
- Preheating the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2.
- Roasting Tomatoes:
Place tomatoes in a roasting tray, drizzle with half of the olive oil, and roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
- Preparing Chickpea and Lamb Mixture:
In a food processor, combine three-quarters of the chickpeas, garlic, spices, egg, and salt. Blitz into a paste.
- Shaping and Chilling the Burgers:
Mix chickpea paste with lamb mince and remaining whole chickpeas. Divide into 8 portions, shape into discs, and refrigerate covered for 15-30 minutes to firm up.
- Cooking the Burgers:
Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat or on a barbecue. Fry burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side until outside is burnished and inside is cooked to medium-rare, if desired.
- Preparing Mint-Yogurt Dressing:
Combine all dressing ingredients together.
- Serving:
Serve burgers in lettuce leaves with roasted cherry tomatoes, mint-yogurt dressing, and harissa or chili sauce according to taste.
