Time to a break from the heavier contributions and to provide another of my self-made recipes. This is something that I invented for my vegetarian son whose flight to New York for tomorrow has just been cancelled. Darn it! I’ve just made some of these for him to cheer him up.
Method and ingredients
Soak the red and yellow lentils (chana dal) for a few hours and boil them briefly but leaving them a bit firm and certainly not soggy. The burgers will have more of a “meaty” effect/texture of you leave at least the chana dal a bit firm!
Meanwhile fry up the following mix:
- Onions
- Garlic (optional and not too much)
- Peppers (red and green)
- Mushrooms (lots of)
- Kidney beans (mashed up)
- A tomato if you have one to hand
Season generously with:
- Vegeta
- Pepper
- Salt
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Thyme
- Mixed herbs
- Fresh basil
- Fresh chives
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh coriander (small amount if available)
- Sambal oelek
- Curry powder (small amount optional)
- Lemon juice (small amount optional)
Then mix the two mixtures together (cooked lentils and fried vegetables) with 2 whisked eggs and a cup of plain flour and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
Finally, shape them into burger shapes, coat them lightly in breadcrumbs and gently shallow fry until golden brown on both sides.
If desired, add some goat’s cheese to the mix for extra flavour and texture.
If you are not a strict vegetarian, these burgers also taste great sandwiched in a bun with a couple of strips of fried bacon and some ketchup and/or chili sauce.
Enjoy!