Our problem with veggie burgers is the lack of powerful flavor and texture, so Chris and I issued ourselves a challenge — to come up with the best-tasting version we could. While Chris made an outstanding burger, we all decided we missed the “chew factor.” That’s where the Indian burger surged ahead. (Crazy because Chris is a much better cook than I am by at least a mile.)
Basically, I thought of veggies that would work well together, added walnuts and brown rice for texture, and I guess worked. (Feel free to use cashews if you prefer; sometimes I do.)
Like most recipes I make, the idea is to have fun playing with it. Don’t want Indian? Go Chinese. Or Greek. Or Italian. All you can do is make a mistake and try again, though you might want to use your best version if company is coming over.
- 1 14 ounce can chick peas drained and chopped
- 1 14 ounce can lentils drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup brown rice cooked well and drained
- 1 small red pepper diced
- 1 small green pepper diced
- 6 green beans sliced thin
- 1 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms diced
- 1/2 cup corn frozen
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 1/2 cupt walnuts toasted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspooons Frank's hot sauce
- 2-3 cups panko bread crumbs
- In a large bowl mix all the ingredients well.
- Form into individual patties.
- Grill, broil or pan-fry the burgers until done.
This recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free bread crumbs and gluten-free hamburger buns. (Be sure to check whether your hot sauce is gluten-free.)
Faith sometimes uses Trader Joe's Indian Simmer Sauce in a jar to boost the curry flavor.
