Carrot, Cumin and Kidney Bean Burgers (makes 4)

I love Jack Monroe's recipes. This is the recipe that kicked off her life as a food writer/blogger. It's tasty, easy to make, very nutritious and very cheap.

 

It's best to make this a few hours in advance so that you can put the mixture in the fridge. This makes the mixture firmer and easier to roll and fry.

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin of kidney beans

1 onion (finely chopped)

1 large carrot (grated)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tablespoons to fry the burgers

1 heaped tsp flour, plus more to shape the burgers

Method

1. Drain the kidney beans and rinse. Put into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to soften.

2. Put the onion, carrot and cumin into a frying pan. Add the splash of oil and cook on a low heat to soften. When the kidney beans have softened, drain well and add to the frying pan. Remove from the heat and mash together until it looks smooth. Stir in the flour to stiffen.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan on a medium heat. With floured hands, take a quarter of the burger mixture and roll it into a ball. Make three more balls with the remaining mixture. Place one in the oil and flatten gently with a fork to make the burger shape. 

4. Cook for a few minutes on one side before turning. When cooked and slightly crisp on both sides, remove from the pan and serve.

If you have some fresh coriander then chop some up and add at stage 2.