Ah, summer and burgers. The grill. The bun. The condiments! I love veggie burgers— at least I love the idea of them. Easy to heat and eat, can dress them up for company, or down for a quick summer supper with some lovely greens on the side. The problem? Some are bland. Some are squishy and too fragile. Store-bought varieties often have ingredients I do not recognize. And, unfortunately, many online recipes fail when it comes to texture, flavor, and nutritional punch. After a moderately successful attempt at an online recipe that tasted great but would never stand up to a bun and serious condiments, I finally marched myself into my kitchen, ready to face the veggie burger challenge.
I dug around in the fridge, knowing these burgers would have to include some leftovers. Quinoa, small white beans, mushrooms, and a bowl of fresh ginger would be the main ingredients from which to build. I wanted lots of veggies, so took out most of what I had and lined it all up on the kitchen counter. I wanted lots of flavor, so dug around in the spice cupboard and came up for air holding handfuls of Indian spices. I chopped and diced, sauteed and sprinkled. I even measured, just in case I liked the end result. Good thing I did!
Currie Veggie Burger with Indian Paratha, Chutneys, Onions and Greens
Ingredients:
1 c cooked quinoa
1 c cooked small white beans
2 T ground flax seed
2-3 T coconut oil
2 c peeled, diced sweet potato
1 c diced mushrooms
1/2 c minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c minced fresh ginger
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
4 c fresh kale, tough stems removed; chopped fine
3 T curry powder
1 t turmeric
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/3 c water
1 c frozen green peas
olive oil (for the cookie sheet)
Method:
Process the quinoa, half the beans, and the ground flax in a food processor until mostly smooth. Set aside.
In a large, heavy, nonstick skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato, mushrooms, onion, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper and kale. Saute until the kale begins to wilt. Add the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir and saute the spices into the vegetable mixture until incorporated. Add the water, cover, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and remove from heat. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into the processor and process until the mixture is mostly smooth again.
Scrape down the sides of the processor and spoon the mixture into the vegetables that are left in the skillet. Stir everything together until well mixed. Fold in the remaining 1/2 c white beans and the peas.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously oil a cookie sheet with olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop or cup measure to divide burger mixture into 10 rounds, each about 3/4 c. Press and shape into patties on cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Gently turn with spatula and bake 15 minutes more.
These can be served right away and are great with Indian condiments, such as coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, and onion chutney. We liked them on Indian paratha with all the condiments and sliced onion, tomato, and bell pepper.
As the burgers cool, they firm up quite a bit. They can be frozen and reheated on a cookie sheet at 375° for 18-20 minutes, or heated in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until crisp on the outside and heated through.
Elizabeth Runs 