These spiced chickpea and cauliflower burgers are full of the warm, aromatic flavours of cumin, garam masala, and turmeric. They’re easy to make, completely plant-based, and come together in a hearty veggie patty that’s crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Serve them on a toasted bun with mashed avocado and an unexpected green curry mayo for a vegetarian burger that’s anything but boring.
It’s no secret if you’ve been around the blog, that I am a huge fan of a veggie burger. You may have tried my popular vegan black bean burgers, or even these chickpea and sweet potato burgers, but this was actually the burger that started my love affair.
The inspiration for this burger came from a tiny café, many years ago on the other side of Brisbane. I don’t even remember the name, but I do remember the burger. The flavour was warm and full of Indian spices, and was complimented (rather unexpectedly) by a delicious green curry mayo. This is the combination that I left with, inspiring me to try and recreate it at home.
I always feel like I need to add a disclaimer to a veggie burger recipe that states that they are softer than a regular chicken or beef burger patty. But these do hold their shape quite well and can easily be cooked and flipped without them falling apart. So while veggie burgers aren’t for everyone, if you know you like them, then definitely try this one as the flavours are so good, its sure to become a favourite.
Key Ingredients
To make these vegan cauliflower and chickpea burgers you’ll need a well stocked spice rack and of course, all of your favourite burger toppings to go along with the plant-based patties.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cauliflower – depending on the size, you’ll need approximately half of a cauliflower, chopped into florets for even cooking. I don’t recommend using frozen here as it will add too much extra liquid to the mixture.
- Chickpeas – canned chickpeas is what we’re using here as they are a pantry staple.
- Onion and garlic – to give flavour to the burger patties.
- Ginger – you can use freshly grated if you like, but I usually keep a jar of minced ginger in the fridge to add flavour to a range of different meals.
- Spices – to give these burgers flavour, we are using a combination of ground cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, ground cardamom seeds, and turmeric.
- Ground flaxseed – also known as flaxseed meal, this works as a binder similar to an egg in regular burger patties and helps prevent them from falling apart.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour, this again helps bind the burger together so it holds its shape. You can also use gluten free flour.
To assemble the burgers, you’ll need burger buns of course! My favourite are the plant-based brioche burger buns which I find at either Coles or Woolworths. But you can use any buns you like such as wholemeal or even gluten free. From there, use any burger toppings you prefer. I’ve kept things simple with avocado and rocket (arugula), and of course the simple green curry mayo which adds so much flavour – do not skip!
Step-By-Step Instructions
These burgers are really simple to make but make sure you know before getting started that you’ll need to allow time for the veggie mixture to chill completely in the fridge before cooking.
To get started, heat some oil in a frying pan and add in the diced onion. I love this recipe as I know it will be added to a food processor later so you don’t need to worry about chopping your onion perfectly!
Once the onion is soft, add in the garlic, ginger, and all of the spices. Cook for 1 minute or until it starts to smell amazing. Add the cauliflower florets and drained chickpeas and stir well to coat everything in the spices.
From here, turn down the heat and add some water to the pan before covering it with a lid. This is going to steam the cauliflower so that it becomes nice and soft. Make sure to keep and eye on it and give it a stir and add a little more water as needed to prevent burning.
Once the cauliflower is soft, allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding it to a food processor. Add the ground flaxseed and a pinch of salt and pulse until mostly smooth. The mixture should come together into a soft paste, but a few small chunks are fine and add texture to the burger.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the plain flour with a wooden spoon. It will still be quite soft and sticky but that’s ok. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until no heat remains in the mixture.
Once chilled, divide the mixture into 4 portions. With floured hands, shape each portion into a patty about 2 cm thick. If you find the mixture still warm or too sticky, pop it back in the fridge.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Reduce the heat if needed to stop them from burning before the centre is cooked through as an under cooked patty will be mushy in texture which we don’t want.
Finally, it’s time to assemble! In a small bowl, mix the vegan mayonnaise with the green curry paste. Have a taste and adjust the amount to your tastes. Lightly toast the burger buns and spread some of the mashed avocado over the base of each bun, add a handful of salad leaves, then top with a patty and a generous dollop of the green curry mayo. Finish with the top bun and serve, preferably with these sweet potato fries.
Recipe FAQs
You can prepare the mixture and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before shaping and cooking the patties. Cooked patties can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in a frying pan or air fryer.
A food processor helps create a smooth and even texture for the patties, but you can also mash the mixture by hand with a potato masher or fork. Just make sure the cauliflower is very soft and well-cooked so it binds easily.
Yes, you can use a gluten free plain flour in the patties and then serve them with you favourite gluten free burger buns.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More recipes using cauliflower:
Cauliflower and Chickpea Shawarmas
Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
Spiced Chickpea and Cauliflower Burgers
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets approx. ½ head of cauliflower
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup plain flour/all purpose flour
To Serve
- 4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon green curry paste adjust to taste
- 4 burger buns
- 1 avocado mashed
- salad leaves (lettuce or rocket/arugula)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower florets and drained chickpeas to the pan. Stir well to coat everything in the spices.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in ¼ cup of water, cover with a lid, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. The cauliflower should be soft and break apart easily when pressed with a spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor along with the ground flaxseed and a pinch of salt. Pulse until mostly smooth. The mixture should come together into a soft paste, but a few small chunks are fine. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Stir the plain flour into the mixture. It will still be quite soft and sticky – this is normal. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until no heat remains in the mixture.
- Once chilled, divide the mixture into 4 portions. With floured hands, shape each portion into a patty about 2 cm thick.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Reduce the heat if needed to stop them from burning before the centre is cooked through.
- In a small bowl, mix the vegan mayonnaise with the green curry paste to taste. Lightly toast the burger buns. Spread the avocado over the base of each bun, add salad leaves, then top with a patty and a generous dollop of the green curry mayo. Finish with the top bun and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in September 2020 but has been updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same!
mimi rippee says
These are fabulous! Especially with the Thai mayo. My husband was a vegetarian for about 10 years, and during that time I would whip together a burger with legumes, grains and vegetables about once a week. It was really fun, and I kind of miss doing that! By the way, if you use domestic lentils instead of Le Puy or Beluga, they will blend.
Sally says
Thanks for the tip! Maybe I’ll have to give lentils a second chance 🙂