Place the beans and chickpeas together in a large bowl. Take any rocks or blemished beans/chickpeas out. Rinse thoroughly. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the bean mixture. Fill the bowl with cold tap water and let the beans and chickpeas soak overnight. The baking soda will help the beans to get cooked faster. It will also aid in reducing the amount of gas produced by the beans.

Once the beans have soaked overnight. Rinse thoroughly a couple times. Place in a large pot. Fill with water. Make sure that the water covers the beans by at least 2 inches. Cover and place on the stove over high heat.

The beans will now produce lots of froth, so keep a close eye on them. Once you see the froth rising to the top. Turn off the heat. Remove beans from heat and drain in a colander. Rinse thoroughly until all the frothy liquid is out. This process will also help in reducing gases.

Place back into the pot again and fill with water to cover the beans and chickpeas with at least 2 inches of water. Place back on high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and uncover. Let the beans cook for about an hour or until soft and you can easily mush them between your fingers, but they still hold their shape.

Once the beans are fully cooked, using a colander, drain thoroughly making sure there is no excess liquid left. If you wish, you could reserve the liquid for other uses, but I personally don’t.

Place the cooked beans and chickpeas in a large pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Using a potato masher, smash the beans to the desired consistency. I like to mash my beans until they are partly mushy, but some of the beans still hold their shape.

Mix thoroughly using a wooden spoon.

Preheat a frying pan on medium heat.

Rub some oil between your hands. Take a handful of the bean mixture and place between your oiled palms and shape into a burger patty as big or as small as you would like.

Place some oil of your choice in the preheated pan, and place the bean burger onto the oil in the frying pan.

You will notice that the bean burger will absorb most of the oil, so you might need to add some extra oil as the bean burger continues to cook.

If you notice that the heat is too high and your bean burger is burning rather than crisping on the bottom, reduce the heat to medium low.

You will need to cook the burger on the first side until it is crispy, but not burned. This may take between 3 to 7 minutes depending on the heat that you are using and the type of pan that you are using.

Once the first side is crispy and fully cooked, using a flat spatula, carefully flip the bean burger onto the opposite side. If you notice that the pan is too dry, add some oil to help the bean burger in crisping and to prevent burning it.

If you are using cheese, now is the time to place a slice of cheese onto the burger while it continues to cook.

Once the second side is crispy and well cooked, remove the burger off the heat and serve with your favorite toppings.

Repeat the cooking process for as many bean burgers as you like.

You can save this mixture in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and use it as necessary. You could also store this mixture in a freezer bag in the freezer. Thaw it the night before you are ready to use it, and use it as directed to make the bean burgers. Enjoy!