The first time I made veggie burgers at home, it was a big flop show. The problem.. no binding agent to hold the patties together and so they were falling apart. Moreover, the main ingredient that I used was sprouted moong dal and for whatever reasons, the patties tasted awful and it didn't go well with the burger buns. After that experience, I never had the courage to try veggie sliders again, until I recently saw this recipe for quinoa patties here.
This time, I made sure that I used all kind of binding agents from mashed potatoes to bread crumbs to chickpea flour etc and the patties did hold amazingly well. And, as the patties cooled, they firmed even better. Phew.. a job neatly done!! Carrots, potatoes, yam, zucchini, bell pepper, quinoa - this is one great recipe for veggie lovers that is loaded with lots & lots of veggies.
You can choose to cook the patties in a oven/skillet. I did mine in the skillet, but in case you want to cook them in oven, preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line the baking tray with aluminium foil, grease it with some olive oil, place the patties and bake them for 30 mins. Halfway through, flip the patties. With oven-cooked patties, you might not get that crispy, golden-brown exterior, but no compromise otherwise.
I served this quinoa-veggie patties between whole wheat rounds (that i bought from Costco) smeared with garlic & mint cheese, layered with slightly melted slice of cheddar cheese, fresh lettuce, cucumber & tomatoes. This home-made veggie burger is nothing but an absolute joy and a healthy, nutritious & smart choice!! Serve it with french-fries and it's a big hit with kids too!!
These burgers are a treat with rightly-spiced, mildly-flavored, tasty sliders. The sliders are slightly crispy on the outside, moist & soft inside and with a lot of texture going on, but in an enjoyable way!!
These burgers are a treat with rightly-spiced, mildly-flavored, tasty sliders. The sliders are slightly crispy on the outside, moist & soft inside and with a lot of texture going on, but in an enjoyable way!!
Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 30 mins (to chop vegetables, cook quinoa & pressure cook potato/yam)
Cook time - 30 mins (to mix & cook patties, takes less time if baked in oven)
Serves - 14-16 patties
Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
3/4 cup cooked & mashed red yams (used 1 small yam)
1.25 cups cooked & mashed potatoes (used 1 large russet potato)
2 carrots (peeled & grated)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 green chilli (finely chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 zucchini (chopped into small cubes)
1 red bell pepper (chopped into small cubes)
1 ear of corn
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder (freshly ground)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp of chickpea flour for every 1 cup of the burger mix
Bread crumbs (from 2-3 bread)
1/8 cup of all purpose flour mixed in 1.5 parts of water
Method
Cook quinoa as per instructions. Let it cool and fluff it up with a fork. Keep it aside.
Pressure cook yam & potato for 1 whistle. Let it cool, peel the skin, mash it up and keep it ready.
Heat olive oil in a pan. When hot, add onions and saute until translucent for about 8-10 mins. Add minced garlic, green chilli and saute until the raw smell of garlic is gone. Add zucchini and cook until soft but crisp. Add red bell pepper, corn kernels, 1/2 tsp of salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder and cook until raw smell of red chilli powder is gone, for about 3-4 mins. Finally, add dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried parsely, pepper powder and give it a good stir. Remove from heat & let it cool.
In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, mashed potato & yam, saute'ed vegetables and give a good mix. Taste, adjust salt & pepper powder.
Now for every cup of this burger mix add 2 tbsp of chickpea flour and mix well. Wet your hands, take about 1/2 cup of the mixture and make a smooth ball. Gently flatten it between your palms and you have your patties. Now carefully dip this in all-purpose+water mixture, and then in bread crumbs. Turn the patty around so that the bread crumb coats it all around.
In the meanwhile, add 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet and heat it. Once the skillet gets hot, add the patties and cook both sides until golden brown. If your skillet is small, you might have to do it in batches. Let the patties cool completely. The patties might look floppy when hot, but firms really well as it cools.
Use it as a slider in your burgers and enjoy!!
Pressure cook yam & potato for 1 whistle. Let it cool, peel the skin, mash it up and keep it ready.
Heat olive oil in a pan. When hot, add onions and saute until translucent for about 8-10 mins. Add minced garlic, green chilli and saute until the raw smell of garlic is gone. Add zucchini and cook until soft but crisp. Add red bell pepper, corn kernels, 1/2 tsp of salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder and cook until raw smell of red chilli powder is gone, for about 3-4 mins. Finally, add dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried parsely, pepper powder and give it a good stir. Remove from heat & let it cool.
In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, mashed potato & yam, saute'ed vegetables and give a good mix. Taste, adjust salt & pepper powder.
Now for every cup of this burger mix add 2 tbsp of chickpea flour and mix well. Wet your hands, take about 1/2 cup of the mixture and make a smooth ball. Gently flatten it between your palms and you have your patties. Now carefully dip this in all-purpose+water mixture, and then in bread crumbs. Turn the patty around so that the bread crumb coats it all around.
In the meanwhile, add 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet and heat it. Once the skillet gets hot, add the patties and cook both sides until golden brown. If your skillet is small, you might have to do it in batches. Let the patties cool completely. The patties might look floppy when hot, but firms really well as it cools.
Use it as a slider in your burgers and enjoy!!
Notes:
- Yam can be replaced with sweet potatoes too!
- If you are an egg-eater, you could use egg whites as binding agent in place of all-purpose flour+water mixture.
- If you are an egg-eater, you could use egg whites as binding agent in place of all-purpose flour+water mixture.