'So what's the difference between this and a kebab?' Leave it to my family to burst my culinary bubble. It's the Fourth of July and as we celebrate our country and family gatherings, I thought I'd come up with my own masala burger. I used to make them quite a bit, but of late I've been so busy tinkering with my Instant Pot that I put that all aside. But, as I started looking at recipes online for masala burgers I noticed something that my husband was getting at with his comment - they all read like a kebab recipe, adding ginger, garlic, and turmeric. I gave that a try and realized it didn't sit right - it just felt like too much - well - Indian. I wanted to create a humble burger patty to rest between a bun loaded with onions, tomato, and condiments, I wanted something interesting, but something that still felt like a traditional burger. So, I kicked all the extras to the curb and kept it incredibly simple. And, my family loved it! This recipe is for my veggie Chickpea and Quinoa burger. I'll share my meat burger with you in another post. I was going to put them in the same post, but they are different enough that I don't want to confuse anyone. Now, on the chickpeas, I do recommend cooking them from dried. If you have my new book Instant Pot Indian, turn to page 97 and you'll see how to cook chickpeas in your IP with just water. Use 2 cups of dried chickpeas, 2 cups of water, and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. You can increase the cook time for a slightly softer texture. Once you finish cooking, remember to save the cooking water in a glass jar in the fridge for later. It's fantastic as a vegan thickener for soups and even a non-oil thickener for hummus. Alternatively, use canned chickpeas.
Stovetop: Masala Chickpea and Quinoa Veggie Burger
Makes 8 small patties & 4 large
2 cups cooked chickpeas
½ cup cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
1/3 cup minced red or yellow onion
1-3 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek, lightly hand crushed to release flavor
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon water
1. Place the chickpeas, quinoa, and besan in a food processor and process until combined. I don’t like it completely smooth and prefer a bit of texture. Transfer the contents to a roomy bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and combine with your hand. Use kitchen gloves to avoid touching the chiles.
3. Scoop out the burger mix using a ¼ measuring cup and hand-mold them into rounds and then flatten into patties. Wet your hands to shape the burgers better. This mixture is slightly dry, so add a touch more water if needed. Your patties will be about 2 ½ inches in diameter. Use a 1/2 cup for a larger patty.
4. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat and spray with oil. Cook the burgers about 4 minutes on each side. I like to cover the pan, so the burgers are heated through.
5. When finished, toast your buns in the same pan. Place one veggie patty on a bun, add a slice of onion and tomato, a dollop of tamarind chutney, and a dash of ketchup. If you want to store the patties for later, separate them with parchment paper and store in the fridge up to two weeks. To freeze, place the uncooked burgers in a single layer not touching on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze them. Once frozen, place transfer them to a large bag or container. Defrost before cooking.
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Tara
July 19, 2023
Just did! https://www.indianasapplepie.com/blogs/indian-as-apple-pie/air-fryer-veggie-quinoa-pakoras