These Veggie Patties (Mpiftekia Lahanikon in Greek) are the most delicious I have ever tasted! They're literally loaded with a variety of healthy vegetables. And flavored with plenty of spices and herbs.
I've cooked those on a day I've also made chicken patties (to be on the safe side for the male part of the family). But after tasting these veggie patties I was amazed at how much tastier a veggie pattie was in comparison to one made with meat.
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Gluten-Free Veggie Patties
Usually, when we make foods like patties or fritters there is usually the addition of bread, breadcrumbs, or flour to bind the mixture together. This recipe is gluten-free because I'm using a very flavorful vegetable flour to bind them together. And I'm talking about corn flour (Maize flour).
Corn flour is flour made from corn. It's not cornstarch or cornmeal. Corn flour is yellow in color and finer than cornmeal.
How To Make Them Stick Together
To make these patties stick together while still being very soft, we're using mashed potatoes as their base. Also, the egg, corn flour, and amount of moisture from the vegetables help to bind the mixture together.
NOTE: If you follow the recipe ingredients in precise gram quantities you'll have the perfect pattie mixture. Soft and shapeable. Otherwise, you may need to add a small amount of extra corn flour to it, to reach the desired texture.
The egg is a must for all pattie and fritter recipes. As it helps bind the mixture together and hold its shape while cooking.
As for the corn flour, it helps the patties stick together by absorbing extra moisture.
And here comes the point on moisture. If there is extra moisture the mixture will be runnier. To avoid this, it's very important to cook the ground vegetables in a pan on the stovetop. Until they drain completely, before adding them to the mixture. As it is instructed in the recipe below. I'm just emphasizing the importance of this step.
You can always add some extra corn flour to the mixture to absorb extra moisture. Try not to add too much though. As corn flour may end up turning your veggie patties into veggie cakes.
What Are They Made Of?
When making veggie patties you can literally add almost any vegetable you like. To make these veggie-loaded patties you need: potatoes, red onion + spring onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, peppers (two types), cauliflower florets, and brown mushrooms.
All these vegetables are chopped in a food processor to the point they look like coarse crumbs.
Substituting Vegetables
The one and only vegetable I wouldn't advise substituting are potatoes. They are the base that makes these patties super soft and moist. Other than those you can switch mushrooms for any other type you like, portobellos, white button mushrooms, etc. Or skip mushrooms altogether and use another vegetable in their place. In their exact quantity.
You can also substitute cauliflower for broccoli for example.
Adding Greens such as spinach. You should add only fresh greens and mix them into the mixture right before you are about to cook the patties. Don't let fresh greens sit too much in the mixture as they will release water.
Adding zucchini or pumpkin. To add those you need to chop them separately from the other vegetables. Then season them with a bit of salt and squeeze them very well to release as much of their liquid as possible. Then add to the mixture again right when you are about to cook the patties. Don't precook those vegetables as they will keep releasing their water and turn mushy.
Adding eggplants. Is super easy. Just remove their skin first.
Letting The Mixture Rest
Letting the pattie mixture rest is very important. As this will help it bind together well. As the potatoes cool down they get firmer. Also, the corn flour has enough time to absorb all of the extra moisture. So ideally, make the mixture the night before and let rest in the fridge overnight. Otherwise for at least 6 hours before using. So you'll have a mixture that's easily shapeable.
SERVE THEM WITH ↓
Serve these vegetable patties with Lemon & Oregano Potatoes and a Whipped Feta Cheese Dip. Or these Roasted Greek Potatoes With Feta Cheese. If you want something lighter you can serve these veggie patties with some Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes.
Recipe
Veggie Patties (the most delicious!)
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized (420 grams) starchy potatoes such as Russets or Yukon Golds
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium-sized (75 grams) red onion
- 1 small stick (55 grams) leek
- 1 small (20 grams) spring onion
- 2 large (10 grams) garlic cloves
- 2 medium-sized (155 grams) carrots
- 230 grams cauliflower florets
- 1 small (55 grams) sweet red pepper
- 1 small (50 grams) green bell pepper
- 120 grams brown mushrooms
- 1 medium-sized egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chives or spring onion tips finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano or thyme finely chopped
- â…” teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 25 grams grated Gruyere or Kefalotyri cheese
- ½ cup corn flour (Maize flour) not cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. And add them to a small cooking pot. Cover with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and cook the potatoes until tender but not mushy.
- Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool down to room temperature. Then mash them using a fork.
- Cut both types of onions and leek into smaller pieces. Add them to a food processor along with the garlic. Pulse until very finely grated almost smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a non-stick pan along with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat over high and once it starts sizzling drop the heat to low. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Then transfer the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Cut the remaining vegetables into smaller pieces and add to the food processor in batches. Pulse until they look very finely chopped but not mushy (think of the texture of coarse breadcrumbs).
- Clean the non-stick pan from any remnant bits and pieces with paper towels. Then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat the pan over high heat.
- Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10-12 minutes stirring often with a wooden spoon. You need to cook the vegetables until they drain to the point they start to stick to the pan.
- Then remove and transfer to the bowl with the potatoes. Let the mixture cool down a bit before mixing everything together.
- Preheat oven to 120°C / 248°F. Add the corn flour to a pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Add all of the seasonings and herbs to the bowl with the vegetables. Season with some salt and pepper as well. Mix well with a fork until the mixture is thoroughly combined.NOTE: Season generously with salt as both the potatoes and corn flour require some extra salt.
- Then add the egg and grated cheese and mix well again.
- Finally, incorporate the corn flour. Cover the bowl and let the mixture set in the fridge overnight. NOTE: By following the recipe in precise quantity (in grams) the mixture is going to be really soft but shapeable. If it feels too runny you can add a small amount of corn flour to it. Add only a tablespoon at a time. If you add too much they will become more cakey like.
- When it's time to cook the patties preheat the oven to 220°C / 428°F.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan or large pan.
- Divide the pattie mixture into 7 equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball and then flatten them into patties 10 cm (4-inches) in diameter.
- Bake the patties for 30 to 35 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven and gently transfer the patties to a serving plate/s using a spatula.
- Serve them with baked or mashed potatoes and Greek dips. Or turn them into a burger. You can try my Greek Burger With Spicy Feta Cheese and simply swipe the meat pattie for a veggie one. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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