Beet Burger!
Leftover stir-fried cabbage mixed with a boiled potato has been our burger patties for a long time. Nothing might sound this unexciting, but the taste of cabbage and potato together is just amazing. The ease of making them and the way they hold together without breaking made me go back to it everytime, until I saw a beautiful picture of a beet burger. If the cabbage was all about its simplicity, the beet was all about its vibrancy. I just fell for it instantly… everyone else did too!
Beet Burgers
1/2 cup semolina
3 beets, grated
3 carrots, grated
3 leaves of kale, chopped fine
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
oil, for sautéing and shallow frying.
salt and pepper
2 green chilies, chopped fine (optional but highly recommended)
Roast the semolina in heavy bottom pan, in medium heat, until it turns light brown and a nice aroma comes out. Make sure it does not get burnt. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool completely. I usually do this ahead of time and store it in an air tight container.
Boil one cup (may be 2-3 tablespoons less than one cup but not more than one cup) of water in a heavy bottom pan. Reduce the heat to the lowest. Keep 2 tablespoons of the roasted, cooled semolina aside in a small bowl. Slowly add the rest of semolina, stirring all throughout so as not to form any lumps. Leave it at sim for a couple of minutes. Switch the heat off and allow it cool completely.
In a skillet, heat one spoon of oil, saute onion, garlic and green chilies. Add the grated carrots, and then the grated beets after removing a couple of spoons of the juice by squeezing gently. Add the chopped kale. (At this point, I normally switch the heat off, but if you prefer you can let them all cook for a few minutes. Stir them from time to time while they are cooking). Remove from heat. Add the cooked semolina, salt and pepper. Mix well and allow it to cool.
Form into six burger shapes and sprinkle them all over with the semolina kept aside. This will prevent the burger from sticking to the pan while frying. Also, this will make the crust crunchy and tasty.
In a little hot oil, shallow fry the burgers for about 5-10 minutes on either side. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it untouched for some time which will help the burgers to hold the shape intact.
Cucumber Sauce
This is a very refreshing sauce. We use it in place of ketchup and mustard.
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley or any other herb
1-2 cloves garlic
half of a key lime
1 tablespoon of dry roasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 green chilies(optional, again highly recommended)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Grind them all (except the oil) together in a blender. Adjust salt and pepper. Add the oil. Mix well.
To assemble:
6 Burger Buns (The choice of a vegan bun alone makes this a complete vegan burger)
Lettuce and 1/4 inch thick slices of red onion, tomatoes and avocados
Toast or grill the buns. Add the red onions slices to the pan and saute or grill on one side, for about 2 minutes. On each bun, set one leaf of lettuce, one slice each of onion and tomato, one beet burger, one slice of avocado and a couple generous spoons of the cucumber sauce. Close the burger and serve immediately.