Couscous Veggie Burgers

Ok my friend Devaki, here's the couscous veggie burger recipe you asked for. Hope you like it. I just made this recipe up today and I feel it could use some tweaking to get a more firm texture. I'm trying to get a nice texture while avoiding TVP, tofu and breadcrumbs which are usually used for this purpose, and I am not fully satisfied with the results yet, so lets say these a work in progress. But that said, Kunti and everyone here really liked them and said they are blog worthy, so let me know how they work for you. :-) This recipe makes approx 20 mini burgers.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups wholewheat couscous
1 large carrot grated
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup frozen peas
1 small red bell pepper chopped fine
Approx 3/4 cup hot sauce ( I made my own)
3/4 -1 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Approx 4 TBSP liquid smoke
Approx 4 TBSP soya sauce
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 TBSP beribere seasoning (Ethiopian hot spice)
1 TBSP asafoetida
3 TBSP basil
1 TBSP cumin powder
2 TBSP curry powder
1 TBSP paprika
Oil or ghee for pan frying

Cook couscous for approx 12 mins or til done in double the amount of water, along with the carrot, celery, peas, bell pepper, soya sauce, toasted sesame oil and liquid smoke. Remove from heat and allow to seam itself for another 5 mins (it should be fluffy and a little sticky is fine).

Put into a bowl and mash in the beribere seasoning, asafoetida, basil, cumin, curry powder, paprika, mozzarella cheese, hot sauce, and extra smoke if desired.

Set aside for 15 mins or so - to cool and save your hands (!) and it also helps the couscous absorb the liquid and become more firm.

Rub some ghee or oil onto your hands. Form the burger mix into rounds approx golf ball size and flatten into small thick patties - about an inch thick - they will be abit sticky, but its ok, they firm up more once cooked and cooled somewhat.

Pan fry over medium low heat, on a pre-heated griddle with a TBSP ghee or oil on it. Turn patties over carefully when dark brown on one side. When done remove from heat and set on a paper towel to absorb some of that oil! :-)

Serve with hot sauce and a salad. Great hot or cold.

Ekadashi Potato Burgers

It's good to have a few handy recipes like these up your sleeve for Ekadashi days.
This one is for you Urmila Mata. :-) 

This makes approx 16 mini burgers.

Ingredients:
4 medium sized new potato's, washed, peeled, chopped, cooked and mashed (I added butter, salt, pepper and some water left from cooking)
3 cups cooked mushy quinoa
1/2 cup cooked celery (finely sliced)
1/2 cup cooked red bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded vegetarian mozzarella
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp asafoetida (optional)
2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1 tsp ground blk pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Buckwheat flour for coating
Approx 3-4 TBSP oil for frying (I used sunflower)

Mix all ingredients and form into small thick patties. Coat lightly in buckwheat flour. Pan fry on an oiled pre-heated heavy cast iron griddle over medium low heat. Handle as little as possible to retain their shape. Turn patties over when the first side is dark golden brown and fry again til ready.

Serve hot topped with some fried jalopeno chilli's, a dash of ketchup and a good salad.

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! :-)