Okay, I’ve been wrapped up in writing a textbook chapter over the past month and a half, so I decided I needed to write a fluff piece. The fact of the matter is – homemade veggie burgers rock.
I made this recipe last night and they were inspiring! I love the combination of ingredients and my just-graduated son ate two on a bun, and then came back and ate one with his fingers. So Lindsay, at Pinch of Yum can possibly add “or just eat one with your fingers as you walk through the kitchen” to one of her “ways to enjoy them”.
Homemade Veggie Burgers
The great thing about recipes such as these Curried Veggie Burgers is that you don’t have to be exact. For instance, I didn’t really measure the rice and lentils. I cooked up some brown rice (1/2 cup dry) and about a cup of dry lentils. I drained and rinsed my canned garbanzo beans well to reduce sodium. I only had about 1/4 cup of unsalted cashews left in my pantry, so that’s all I put into the recipe (and I didn’t modify it with by adding any fat or other ingredient). I also found out that I was low on curry powder, so used all that was left, which was about half the amount called for in the recipe.
You can see my modifications in the recipe below. I tried both pan frying and baking, and I prefer using the baking sheet in the oven for these. I also put about 6 in the freezer.
We ate ours on small whole wheat slider buns, and topped them with Bleu Cheese dressing and mixed baby greens.
Another great option for these is to use them as appetizers! Next time I’ll make a whole bunch of mini patties (1-2 inch). These can be baked and then frozen for parties. When served, you could top them with a dab of curried Greek yogurt, or a sprinkling of goat cheese, or a dab of herbed mayo and sprigs of cilantro or chopped cucumber. Yummy.
Homemade Curried Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 1/2 cups cooked lentils
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup cashews or walnuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1/2 cup sweet onion minced
- 1 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup stock or water
- 2 cups fine bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment.
- Add chickpeas, lentils and rice to a food processor bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the nuts. Toast for about a minute then remove from pan. Add oil to the pan and heat. Saute the onion, garlic and carrots.
- Transfer carrot mixture to the food processor. Add the nuts, curry powder and salt. Pulse until well mixed. Add the stock, 1/4 cup at a time (you may need more or less) and pulse another 30 seconds. Stir in the breadcrumbs and mix until it resembles ground meat consistency.
- Form into 10-12 patties, or 15-20 slider-size patties.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes per side, flipping once.
Notes
Beef Burgers Still Rock too!
Sure I like a big ‘ole beef burger once in a while, but I really enjoy good veggie burgers. My favorite local place to get them is Voodoo Brewery – they make them from scratch in their kitchen. They also have an excellent Bison Burger.
NOTE: When it comes to recipes, folks always want to know: “How hard is it and how much time does it take?” I work from a home office (as do many more people now). That gives you the advantage of putting some brown rice on the stove at 2:00pm and then getting to it later when I need it. Other than having the rice and lentils ready to go – these aren’t time consuming. So if you’re cooking brown rice for dinner, make extra sometimes. Store it in the fridge for a few days to use in recipes like this one. Having the ingredients ready to go is the secret for quick and simple healthy cooking. Using similar ingredients to make different things during the week also help reduce food waste.
