Vegetarian biftekia with gigandes and spinach

This is a great way to enjoy gigandes and a very smart solution for children to eat legumes and vegetables, too.

You can serve the vegetarian biftekia with rice, fried potatoes or make a sandwich.

Materials:

2½ cups gigandes, soaked overnight, boiled, drained
1 cup chopped spinach
One finely chopped onion
½ cup parsley, mint or basil, chopped
zest of 1 small orange
One egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
flour + extra virgin olive oil for frying
salt, pepper

Procedure

Step 1

Break the boiled gigandes into smaller pieces with a fork.

Step 2

Put the gigandes, spinach, onion, herbs, orange zest, egg, breadcrumbs, and 1 tsp. olive oil soup in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and knead until you get a uniform mixture.

Step 3

Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.

Step 4

Form biftekia in the size you prefer, flour them and fry them in hot olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

Tips

If you want your biftekia lighter, bread them with breadcrumbs instead of flour and bake them in the oven at 180°C.

Recipe by Eleni Psihouli. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

READ MORE: Rooster stifado with chestnuts, cardamom and orange.