These chicken scallion patties are one of my favorite recipes I learned from my grandma – basically my entire childhood!
We call these chicken scallion patties Beytha B’laham. My grandma and her family grew up in Baghdad. Luckily for me, she brought all of their amazing culinary traditions and recipes with her. She was also one of the best cooks in the family, so I grew up tasting and learning about all of the amazing flavors that she was raised with.
Most of the time we buy the pickled mango, Amba, which is also used in other Middle Eastern cuisines. For this recipe I decided to add tahini to the Amba, just for fun (and flavor)! However, it’s really very good by itself if you don’t want to add in the tahini.
I hope you enjoy these chicken scallion patties as much as I do!
What Should You Serve This With?
Along with the mango tahini sauce, you can put this in pitas or serve with a tabbouleh salad.
Ingredient Notes:
- Avocado Oil – I love using avocado oil for cooking when I am sautéing, stir fry-ing, or searing. It has a high smoke point, which means it can get very hot before it starts to smoke and burn, similar to other neutral oils, like vegetable or canola. However, it’s SO MUCH healthier than those oils, almost as healthy as olive oil. You can read more about it here. You can substitute olive oil or grapeseed oil, but you should be able to find avocado oil in most stores.
- Fenugreek – Has a slightly sweet and nutty taste and is rich in fiber, iron and magnesium. I have read that you can substitute ground mustard seed and honey, but haven’t tried it myself. You can easily order it on Amazon.
- White Vinegar – I like using some white vinegar when pickling because it gives it that acidic kick that pickles need. But if you don’t have any white vinegar laying around you can always substitute extra apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar.
- Tahini – I prefer whole sesame tahini versus regular tahini. What’s the difference? Whole sesame tahini uses the seed and shell, instead of just the seed, resulting in a darker, more flavorful, and more nutritious product. If you can’t find it at a grocery store near you, the regular tahini is just fine. If you want to buy it, find it here.
Iraqi Chicken Scallion Patties with Pickled Mango Tahini
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Large Skillet
- Spatula
- Small Pot
- Blender
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Chicken Patties:
- 30 large scallions green and white parts, roots trimmed
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Avocado oil for frying
- Pickled Mango Tahini recipe below
Ingredients for the Pickled Mango Tahini:
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon minced ginger
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 12 oz. mango chunks fresh or frozen (if frozen, make sure to defrost before using)
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Juice from ½ a lemon
- 2 tablespoons tahini
Instructions
For the Chicken Patties:
- Cut the scallions into 1 ½ inch chunks and place into a food processor, working in batches if necessary. Process until nicely shredded and place into a large mixing bowl. Add the ground chicken, eggs, salt and pepper. Combine well.
- Fill a large skillet 1/4 inch high with oil and set over medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, scoop 1–1 ½ tablespoon patties of the chicken mixture and spoon them into the oil, pressing each one down so it lays flat. Make sure to space them out evenly and not overcrowd them in the pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until each side is nicely browned. You may need to add more oil in between batches, keeping it at ¼ inch deep.
- Serve warm or room temperature with the pickled mango tahini on the side.
For the Pickled Mango Tahini:
- Heat the oil in a small sauce pot over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the mango, spices, and salt. Cook for two minutes. Then add the water, vinegars, and lemon juice. Keeping the heat low, bring to a boil, then cover, turn off the heat and let come to room temperature.
- Place the entire mixture into a blender with the tahini and puree on high until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
Notes
Chicken Storage: The raw chicken mixture can be made one day ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before cooking. Once the patties are cooked, they can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for months. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven until heated through.
Mango Tahini Storage: Can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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