Masala Burger

A stormy day in San Jose, so it was time to relax and bake. I have been craving for burgers since quite some time, And, while I am on the healthy mission of incorporating vegetarian protein it was a day to experiment. Last week I had soaked various pulses so that making lunch and dinner during busy weekdays becomes easy. I did not want to skip a meal or fall into the trap of avoiding proteins. So I had various glass jars with pulses soaked overnight. Once soaked, they can be easily stored in the refrigerator for a quick and healthy meal.

The burgers today are made of various pulses. Moong, Matki, Methi, Chana, Soy Beans, and Rajma. This soaked pulses mixture was used in making Misal for dinner yesterday. Since I did not use up all of them for misal, I got to make burgers with the remaining soaked. They are gluten free and rich in protein and fiber. While I was using mix pulses, thought of making the burgers with a twist, and came up with the Indian version, MASALA BURGERS.

Baked variety of burger buns with masala /spices available in my pantry. My husband was of great help here...he suggested the spices i could use. Some suggestions were really creative :) It was fun experimenting and baking these unique Masala Buns for Masala Burgers. I used my basic Pav Bread recipe to make the dough and bake it. The only difference was that I added different spices after the dough was proved and divided into 8 parts. Spices and condiments were mixed into the dough and the ball was formed. The stuffed dough ball was again left for prooving and then baked in a 450F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. After cooling on the wire rack, the buns were used for burgers.

Ingredients to make 6 large burgers:
1+1/2 cup soaked pulses (I used Moong, Matki, Methi, Chana, Soy Beans, and Rajma. Around 2 tbsps. of each pulse. Soaked overnight)
1 large potato (boil)
1 medium onion
3-4 cloved garlic
1-2 green chilli
1+1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chilli powder
3/4 cup poha or rice flakes
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Oil for shallow frying

To make Burger Patties

Soak pulses overnight.
Boil 1 large potato.
In a food processor add soaked pulses, boiled potato, roughly chopped onions, garlic, green chilli, salt, oil, lemon juice, turmeic, chilli powder. Blend to form a course to smooth paste for burger patty.
Remove the mixture in a bowl.
Add 3/4 cup of poha. This will absorb moisture. Mix well.
Form into patties and shallow fry on a hot griddle with oil. Cook 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat on each side till you obtain a beautiful color. Also pulses need to be cooked well too and they will cook, so do not worry.

Boondi and Cilantro Raita Spread for burgers

1/4 cup thick yogurt, 3 tbsp chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp. boondi
Mix all ingredients and use as a burger spread. This will provide taste and moisture to the burger making it light and delicious.

Other ingredients of your choice
Sliced onions
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced bell pepper
Cabbage leaves or Lettuce
Amul cheese slices.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Click here for the basic recipe to make the dough.

Let the dough prove once for an hour.

Knead the dough again and divide into 8-10 parts.

Mix in the spices and condiments and roll into balls.

Leave it aside to proof and they will double in size.

Soak pulses overnight.

Boil 1 large potato.

In a food processor add soaked pulses, boiled potato, roughly chopped onions, garlic, green chilli, salt, oil, lemon juice, turmeic, chilli powder. Blend to form a course to smooth paste for burger patty.

Remove the mixture in a bowl.

Add 3/4 cup of poha. This will absorb moisture. Mix well.

Form into patties and shallow fry on a hot griddle with oil. Cook 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat on each side till you obtain a beautiful color. Also pulses need to be cooked well too and they will cook, so do not worry.