30 Minute Chickpea and Hearts of Palm Asian Tuna Cakes make for an easy low fuss weeknight meal. Minimal clean up and maximum flavor. Serve with a kimchi mayo aioli. GF + DF.
Super quick 30 minute lunches or dinners. Love ’em or hate ’em? I’m pretty sure we can all simultaneously throw both thumbs up. Well these chickpea and hearts of palm tuna cakes are just that.
Canned fish = perfect for a super quick meal. Know when you get home and instantly it hits you that you didn’t take anything out of the freezer to defrost over the day?
What to do?
Just sit there eating some sad celery sticks? Nope. Whip out a few cans of tuna, as well as a few other cans as well (chickpeas, and hearts of palm) and a handful of other ingredients as well as a mixing bowl.
These tuna cakes literally are mixed up within minutes and then pan fried. It doesn’t get easier than that. And let me tell you – they taste way more sophisticated than you would think. I love making all sorts of tuna cakes but wanted to throw in some extra veggies and protein into these so a can of mashed chickpeas boosts that protein per serving and the hearts of palm + avocado + cilantro take care of the veggies.
And naturally because this is me we’re talking about I obviously need to add an Asian spin to the recipe. Remember how I said I’m currently obsessed with Asian flavors (exhibit A- vegan Asian cucumber carrot salad with ginger carrot dressing, exhibit B- Asian cucumber rolls with shrimp, avocado and wasabi aioli, exhibit C – Asian salmon salad with sesame ginger dressing), well that is continuing.
I just need to add a few of drops of tamari to everything I do. Anyone else like that out there?
So to Asian-ize this recipe I added in some tamari, sesame oil (so fragrant and delightful smelling), chili garlic sauce (one of my besties), lime zest (always makes everything so refreshing) and sesame seeds (no explanation necessary).
Now we’re talking. All of that gets mixed together before being formed into patties, dredged in even more sesame seeds and pan fried. I’m a pan frier – not going to lie, more so than a baker, so I pan fried these in a bit of coconut oil.
If you want these even healthier go for the baked version.
While they’re cooking whisk together the sauce.
My newest latest favorite kitchen ingredient? Kimchi. Can not get enough. I can eat the whole jar in one sitting if I don’t actively restrain myself and talk myself into at least breaking this up into a 3 day snack.
But best yet, once all that fermented cabbage is gone, in the jar is the leftover magical kimchi juice. Yep, I said it – kimchi juice.
And you’re going to love it whisked into an aioli for this tuna cakes.
My family eats way way way too much mayonnaise as is, so I’m always looking for new aioli ingredients to dilute that heavy mayo mix. Kimchi liquid is my new favorite one. Mix the kimchi liquid with tamari, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil and mayo, for the best kimchi aioli ever. I mean this aioli is my new favorite dipping sauce. The kimchi liquid adds a super soft and subtle spicy fermented taste that you can’t quite pinpoint, but know something interesting has been added to the mix.
It also dilutes the aioli a bit so it isn’t as quick and more of liquidy sauce which I personally prefer.
So next time you don’t know what to make for a quick lunch and dinner be sure to give these Chickpea and Hearts of Palm Asian Tuna Cakes with Kimchi Mayo Aioli a go. They’re ready in 30 mins and packed full of delicious flavors, protein and hidden veggies.
30 Minute Chickpea and Hearts of Palm Asian Tuna Cakes make for an easy low fuss weeknight meal. Minimal clean up and maximum flavor. Serve with a kimchi mayo aioli. GF + DF.
- For the tuna cakes:
- 3 small cans tuna drained
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed, drained and mashed
- 1 can hearts of palm diced
- 1/2 avocado mashed
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 lime zested
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds + additional sesame seeds for dredging
- handful cilantro chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 teasoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon mayo
- 1 tablespoon kimchi liquid omit if you don't have it, or replace with 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
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In a large bowl mash the drained chickpeas until crumbled. Mash the avocado with the chickpeas.
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To the bowl add the hearts of palm, tuna, 1 tablespoon tamari, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, lime zest, 1/4 cup sesame seeds and cilantro. Mix until smooth.
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Form round flattened patties out of the mixture.
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Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Dredge the tuna cakes in additional sesame seeds and pan fry on each side for a few minutes until browned and cooked through.
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In a small bowl combine the kimchi aioli ingredients - 1 teaspoon tamari, 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoons mayo, and 1 tablespoon kimchi liquid
Calories per serving: 566 Total Fat 33.6g 52% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 42.5mg 14% Sodium 1386.9mg 58% Total Carbohydrate 36.7g 12% Dietary Fiber 13.4g 54% Sugars 4.7g Protein 35.4g 71% Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 21% Calcium 31% Iron 51%
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Maria says
Hi!
Love the sound of this recipe as I have been looking for healthy fish cake recipes as well as any that use hearts of palm. I tried an awesome hearts of palm salad when i was in Sth America a few years ago and unfortunately cannot recall the other ingredients!
I have tried making fish cakes with oat bran & quinoa in the mix.
Please can you add the SIZE of the cans you use. Because I live in Australia and the sizes might differ.
Many thanks
Vicky says
Hearts of palm salads are the best! I like to make mine with avocados, cilantro, and tomatoes with just lemon juice and olive oil as the dressing. The cans used here are 15 ounces, I will add that to the recipe : ))
IndyGail says
My husband, son and I really loved the taste of these. I served on a bed of mixed lettuce with red onion and tomatoes. I do not know what I did wrong but had a difficult time having the cakes stay together while frying. I omitted the dredging in sesame seeds. Instead I dredged half of the cakes in corn meal. They stayed together better and the tastes wasn’t affected.Andy advice on how to make them stay together. Add an egg?
Vicky says
So glad you enjoyed these! Putting them in the freezer for a bit helps them stay together, or adding an egg could also help bind them (or a flax/chia egg). Hope that helps!
Krysten says
Vicky!
You don’t know me, but I think you made this recipe for me.
I am obsessed with tuna cakes, have even featured some on my own blog.
I am making these this week!!
Vicky says
Tuna cakes are the best!
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says
This type of combine-canned-stuff-and-make-a-masterpiece is my very favorite type of cooking!
Vicky says
Thanks! Mine too : ))
lisa | Garlic + Zest says
I’ve made salmon cakes but never tuna cakes. These look really delicious and the hearts of palm is a really unique twist!
Platter Talk says
Thanks for this recipe. I’m trying to cut back on simple carbs & this helps out!
Amy says
This Tuna Cakes beautiful and look so delicious!