Cauliflower Patties and Creamed Curried Chickpeas

It was always my intention to make (vegan) food a large part of this blog, but time has been getting away from me. I plan to start sharing more recipes in the future to show other Peace Corps Volunteers and especially Americans that vegan food is easy, healthy, cheap, and widely available, even in a country like Morocco!

Today I made cauliflower patties and creamed curried chickpeas with the leftover chana masala I made yesterday for lunch. Here's a non-scientific stab at the recipe:

Cauliflower Patties:

• 1 small cauliflower or ½ large
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• Water 

Chop cauliflower into small bits and add to blender or food processor. Add only enough water to cream the cauliflower without making it too watery. Mix cauliflower and flour in a large bowl and add spices and salt. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form patties with the mixture and place on a non-stick or lightly olive oiled baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes flipping regularly to avoid burning.

Creamed Chana Masala:

• 2 cans chickpeas (or 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight)
• 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
• 1 small diced onion
• 1 small potato chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons garam masala mix (can be ground fresh with spices found in Morocco)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Water (about 2 cups with canned chickpeas or more if cooking in pressure cooker in Morocco)

Cook until ingredients are very tender and most water has evaporated, leaving a creamy sauce. You can smash the mixture lightly to soften the potato to make the mixture thicker. Once cool, add to the blender and puree.

To serve the patties and chickpeas, top with sliced tomatoes, chopped cranberries, and cilantro, and then sprinkle with salt to taste. Enjoy!