Mrs Bailey’s Beancakes

Mashed and spiced and fried to a crisp…

Beans have been a staple crop on Mars since the very first pioneers arrived with many a sack to plant, and little to sustain them meantime but hope and, yes, beans. In sacks.

Mrs Bailey has countless recipes in her repertoire, and has shared a number of them already with us here; but her beancakes are a favourite throughout the school, because what child doesn’t love something fried, with a crisp outer coat and a delectable interior?

(Me, I like these for lunch, with a couple of fried eggs atop; but your mileage is your own. Try ’em with sour cream and more harissa, or as a side dish with curry and rice, or…)

A pound of cooked beans, of any type — lima/butter beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, anything…

A bunch of cilantro, finely chopped, stems and all

A bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons potato starch (yes, you could certainly use cornstarch, if that’s what you have)

2 tablespoons harissa

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper