Spiced Red Lentil Mini Burgers
A burger-less burger. That’s my idea of heaven. I’m a vegetarian and I don’t eat bread so I am just used to avoiding burgers altogether. These little micro burgers are so useful for bite sized sustenance you can grab and eat when you are busy. They can be made ahead of time and store well in the fridge. Likewise you can freeze the ‘dough’ to make them quickly at will, handy for spontaneous camping trips or BBQs. The addition of quinoa makes them hearty and filling, and their size makes them versatile for snack boards or picnics or sliders.
They make a great lunch spread with Handmade Hummus, Summer Tomato Salad and Golden Flatbreads.
Ingredients
- 2 cup Cooked quinoa
- 1 cup Cashews & sultanas
- 2 tbsp Golden linseeds/ flaxseeds
- 150 g Red lentils
- 400 g Chopped tomatoes
- Water
- 1 tsp Curry powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Coriander
- 1 sprinkle Ground pepper
- 2 Grated carrots
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- Olive oil
- White sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix linseeds in a small bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water, and set aside.
- Over a low heat cook lentils, tomatoes, water, spices and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan until fragrant, the liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft, about 20 minutes (add more water as you cook if necessary, little by little). Add linseed mixture and stir well.
- Cook quinoa as per packet instructions while the lentils are on, then sautée carrots and garlic together in a fry pan or skillet that you will use later to fry the burgers in.
- Add all ingredients (except sesame seeds) while still hot to a large bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher. Mix well until thoroughly combined and a thick dough is formed.
- Allow to cool before you make into burgers. If the mixture is too wet, add a little more flour, if too dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.With wet hands, take heaped tablespoon sized scoops and roll into a firm ball, then flatten and place on a baking sheet or large board. You can make larger burgers but then I recommend baking them (they are gorgeous), they are delicate to flip when larger.
- Once you have a tray full of little burgers, sprinkle with sesame seeds and press them on a little bit. You can either bake or fry these guys: Bake in the oven at 200ºC/Gas mark 6/ 395ºF for 15 minutes, turning burgers over half way. If frying, using a skillet or fry pan, fry in a little olive oil, over medium heat, 2-3 minutes each side, until crispy and golden brown and firm to touch. (Frying method tip: Fry sesame side down and sprinkle more on the other side while you cook)
- Cook in small batches so you have room in the pan to move them around and flip over.
Notes
Serve with a spicy, sweet chutney, sriracha mayo or your favourite hummus and some salad leaves or put in a burger bun, lightly toasted and top with some salad, sliced tomato and chutney for a very flavourful, moorish veggie burger situation.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 14gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 385mgPotassium: 663mgFiber: 11gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2626IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 5mg
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