Spicy Garden Burger

A convenient batch of these delicious homemade veggie burger patties in my freezer (along with burger buns plus butter, mayonnaise and cheese in the fridge, of course) means that I’m never more than 10 – 15 minutes away from a great Spicy Garden Burger meal.  

 

There is nothing “gourmet burger” about this Spicy Garden Burger. Its base is made up of the humblest of vegetables, the good ‘ol potato. The “garden” trio of vegetables that are added to the potato base provide added flavour, contrast and texture. It may not be haute cuisine, but it definitely hits the spot every time.

 

 

This is the kind of meal you reach for on days when nothing but straightforward fast food will do. These boldly flavoured Spicy Garden Burger patties have a crusty exterior that withstands moisture from mayonnaise, raw vegetables etc quite beautifully and doesn’t get soggy.

 

 

This Spicy Garden Burger may taste as addictive as a fast food burger but the upside is that it is homemade and you know exactly what went into your burger patty. Chain restaurant flavour with homemade goodness and without most of the guilt. What more can one ask for?

 

 

I’ve experimented with several veggie burgers recipes, some successful and others not so much. I think for me, this Spicy Garden Burger comes pretty close to what I feel a good old school fast food style plant based burger should taste like. I know of just one eatery in Lahore that has a veggie burger on its menu. GreenHouse, a healthy fast food joint, has a pretty tasty moong lentil based Daal Burger.

 

 

The city has a plethora of burger places  and not even one of them has any kind of non-meat burger. Neither do any of the many, many other restaurants and cafes in Lahore. I do understand up to a point because ours is a primarily meat eating nation. Very few people would order a veggie burger.

 

 

But it is 2018 after all, and if local eateries can offer expensive to source delicacies like Black Cod and Wagyu Beef on their menus, its about time burger joints started working on something as simple, inexpensive and sustainable as a decent veggie burger.

In the meantime, I will continue my experiments making different vegetarian and vegan burger patties. And hopefully share the more successful experiments here on the blog. My Spicy Garden Burger recipe is based on BharatzKitchen’s take on India’s popular McAloo Tikki Burger.  

 

Spicy Garden Burger

 

Recipe Type: Main    Author: Alice In Eatland

Prep Time: 30 Minutes    Cook Time: 10 Minutes    Total Time: 40 Minutes

Serves: 2 – 4

Boldly flavoured, soft inside & crusty outside Spicy Garden Burger. Create that “fast food” flavour at home with wholesome vegetables & simple spices!   BURGER PATTIES INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium unpeeled potatoes, washed
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons sweet corn, well drained

METHOD

1. Boil potatoes in plenty of water until tender. Remove from pan, cool to room temperature and put in the fridge for at least 4 – 6 hours. Overnight works great too.
2. Peel cold potatoes and grate using a box grater. Do not mash.
3. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic powder and salt.
4. Mix lightly with a fork until the flour and spices are combined with the grated potatoes. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and spices if needed.
5. Stir in the rice flour lightly with a fork.
6. Heat butter in a pan on medium heat until melted. Add the peas, finely chopped carrot and sweet corn. Sauté 2 – 5 minutes or until the peas and carrots are tender.
7. Add the potato mixture and stir and mash together until combined.
8. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
9. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface with one of the narrow ends towards you.
10. Scoop the potato mixture in your hands and press and knead a little between your palms so that the mixture is uniform and smooth. Do not over knead.
11. Place mixture in a log shape on the plastic wrap and roll and shape with your hands until a smooth cylinder forms.
12. Roll the vegetable cylinder in the plastic wrap, using your palms to flatten the sides.
13. Place vegetable roll in the freezer for 20 minutes.
14. Line a tray with a sheet of plastic wrap and set aside.
15. Remove the vegetable roll from the freezer and place, still wrapped in plastic, on a chopping board.
16. Using a very sharp knife, slice the roll through the plastic wrap at equal intervals into discs.
17. The width of the discs depends on how big or small you want your burger patties to be so cut accordingly.
18. Place the cut burger patties on the plastic wrap lined tray and return to the freezer for 10 – 15 minutes.
19. Meanwhile, prepare both the dry and wet coatings, get your breadcrumbs ready and set up a breading station.

DRY COATING INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup corn flour / corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

METHOD

1. Stir corn flour and baking powder together until combined.
2. Set aside.

WET COATING INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 tablespoon corn flour / corn starch
• 1 tablespoon corn meal (makki ka aata)
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water

METHOD

1. Place plain flour, corn flour, corn meal, oil, salt and water in a bowl.
2. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

TO FINISH THE BURGER PATTIES

• Breadcrumbs
• Dry herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme etc (optional)

1. Season your breadcrumbs with the dry herbs if you like – this is optional so use plain unseasoned breadcrumbs if you prefer.
2. After the sliced burger patties have chilled and firmed up in the freezer for 10 – 15 minutes, take them out and remove the ring of plastic wrap encircling each patty.
3. With your breading station set up, dust the patties thoroughly in the dry coating, then dip them well in the wet coating, making sure they are coated evenly.
4. Finally dunk the coated patties in the breadcrumbs, turning and pressing the crumbs gently until all sides are well coated.
5. Place breaded patties back on the plastic wrap lined tray and place back into the freezer for 10 – 15 minutes to firm up a bit.
6. At this point you can also freeze the patties for later (freeze flat, lightly covered with plastic wrap several hours until firm and then remove to an airtight container and freeze for up to a month).
7. Deep fry patties in oil until crisp and golden. You can shallow fry them as well but deep frying will ensure that the patties turn a beautiful golden brown evenly all over.
8. Drain thoroughly on kitchen towels before using.

TO ASSEMBLE THE BURGERS

• Burger buns (the ones in the photos are mini buns from La Patisserie)
• Soft, spreadable butter (I prefer Lurpak Slightly Salted Butter, Emborg Salted Butter or Nurpur Butter)
• Cheddar Cheese slices (Kraft’s American Cheese Slices work best but any local cheese brand can obviously be used)
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Ketchup, Chilli Garlic Sauce or Sriracha
• French fries, to serve

 

1. Place a flat based frying pan over medium heat.
2. Mix in some ketchup, chilli garlic sauce or Sriracha into your mayonnaise – this step is optional so feel free to use mayonnaise without adding any of these additional flavourings.
3. Slice burger buns horizontally. Spread both cut sides of each bun evenly with softened butter and place buttered sides down in the hot frying pan.
4. Press the buns lightly down to ensure even surface contact with the hot pan. Remove after a few minutes once the cut sides are golden.
5. Spread browned buns with mayonnaise, place a whole or half a slice of cheese on top if you prefer your burgers cheesier.
6. Next place a fried burger patty on top. Add another slice of cheese over it.
7. Add your choice of sliced tomato and lettuce if using and place the upper bun half (spread with mayonnaise) over.
8. Secure with toothpick to keep the patty from sliding. Serve with ketchup and fries.
9. Make sure whoever you serve the burgers to doesn’t accidentally bite into the toothpick!
10. Enjoy your Spicy Garden Burgers.