Creamy Yam Sesame Veggie Burgers

Hey folks,

So here by popular request, is the recipe for my yam sesame veggie burgers, which I created for lunch today. I love the combination of creamy yam and potato at the heart of the burger with the rich texture of toasted sesame coating the outside.  

This recipe makes approx 16 burgers and is vegan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice, rinsed
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Approx 3 1/2 -4 cups of water, or as needed

Rinse the rice. Add water and bring to a boil in a heavy bottomed pot. Lower heat to medium low and add salt and olive oil. Cover and cook til soft and a little mushy. Add extra water if required.There will be holes in the layer of rice when done. In the end if there is any excess of water, cook uncovered over low heat to allow steam to escape. Remove from heat and set aside. 

While rice is cooking prepare the following:

1 cup organic orange yams, peeled and chopped small
1 1/2 cup organic potato's, peeled and chopped small
1 small organic red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped into small cubes
1 small organic zucchini, shredded
1 stick organic celery, finely chopped (optional)

Steam all the above vegetables, adding the zucchini towards the end. When tender remove from heat and place into a bowl. Mash well with the following seasonings:

Approx 1 tsp beribere spice
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black salt
Approx 2 TBSP coconut oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely shredded (optional)

I like to let the mixture sit for approx 1/2 an hour before using it. Form into balls a little bigger than a golf ball. Roll in a bowl of toasted sesame seeds, and press into a round thick burger patty, avoiding any cracks. 

Add a 1 TBSP coconut oil to a hot griddle - it should be on medium low heat. Place the burger patties on the griddle and cook each side til browned nicely. Be careful when turning them to avoid breakage - use a pan knife for the job.

Put burgers on paper towels to absorb excess oil. They will firm up as they cool. 

Drizzle with a dip of your choice, garnish with fresh basil sprigs and offer with love. :-) I made a mustard tahini honey dip to dunk them in, which was a great combination! :-)

Great served warm or cold. 

Gopi's Bean Burgers

These nutritious bean burgers are one of my most recent experiments in the kitchen. . .they are healthy and tasty, so its all good! ;-) They are baked, vegan and also soy free. Makes approx 14 big burgers.

Ingredients 

Approx 4 cups brown rice- ready cooked

3 cups red lentils - ready cooked

2 cups cannelloni beans - ready cooked

1 cup sunflower seeds

Approx 2 cups wheatgerm

3-4 cups quick oats

1 cup nutritional yeast

2-3 Tbsp asafoetida to taste

4 Tbsp sea salt or to taste

1/2 tsp pimento powder

2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

3 stalks celery chopped fine

1 red bell pepper chopped small

3 Tbsp Italian herbs

2 Tbsp cumin powder

2 Tbsp smoke flavor

1/4 cup safflower oil

Method

Remember that a little goes a long way with long grain brown rice, you only need 1 cup to yield approx 4 when cooked. Cook it til its mushy and drain water off.
Red lentils also expand - 1 cup yields approx 3 cups when cooked.

Stir-fry the celery and red peppers for 10 mins with a little asafoetida.

Mash and mix everything together thoroughly in a big mixing bowl. The texture is a little on the wet side and sticky enough to form - that's what we want to have burgers that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Have 2 flat baking trays at hand, and oil with approx 2 Tbsp safflower oil (yes, you need enough oil to roast the burgers and prevent sticking).

Oil your hands and form mixture into patties and place on tray approx 3-5 cm apart. Bake in a reheated oven at 450 degrees for approx 20 mins til golden brown, turn over and bake 10 - 15 mins more (add more oil as you turn if  tray is dry).

Serve hot with a homemade ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayo or Vegenaise as part of a meal, or in a bread roll with salad greens as lunch! :-)