Chop onion and garlic into fine pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat in order to sweat out all the water from the veggies.
Stir frequently so they don’t get too brown. Remove from heat when done and allow to cool slightly.
Place the drained chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. You want to leave them a little bit chunky so the burgers have texture.
Add the oatmeal, onion mixture, carrot, parsley and cumin and mix well with a spoon or your hands.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
After the mixture is chilled, form into patties weighing about 3 - 3.5 ounces each and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly sprayed with oil.
Place into oven and cook for 15 minutes.
While patties are cooking, combine 2 tablespoons flax meal with ½ cup water. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes to take on the consistency of an egg.
When burgers have come out of the oven and allow them to cool. When you can handle with your hands they are ready to bread.
Place flour, flax egg and panko in 3 different shallow pans. Add a bit of salt and pepper to flour mixture. Dip each patty into the flour, followed by the flax egg and last the panko. Return the patties to the baking sheet.
Place cooked patties into oven and cook for 15 minutes on each side or until crispy and lightly browned.
Notes
Chop up onions and garlic into small pieces.A food processor works great for chopping and will save you time as well. Mash the chickpeas the right amount. When doing it by hand, make sure they aren’t too chunky and if you use a food processor don’t over process them. You want them pureed enough to stick together but still have a little texture.Make sure the burgers are even in size. A measuring cup or scale works great!Don’t leave the burger patties in the flax mixture too long. Just a quick dip to coat and then shake off all the excess. If they get too wet, they may begin to fall apart.Looking for ways to use leftovers? They crumble up great on salads or stuffed into tacos or wraps.