This is some seriously addictive feel-good food. I’ve been making a similar version of this healthy veggie burger for years but I’ve managed to make it even better by adding that all important crunch factor. The crunchy quinoa crust on these patties makes you want to go back for more, bite after bite. Yum!
What you’ll need:
500gm sweet potato
2 tbsp oil, such as grapeseed
1 cup quinoa
½ red onion, finely diced
420gm can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grapeseed oil for frying
Bread rolls and mixed salad greens to serve
Pickled beetroot
300gm beetroot (2 or 3 depending on the size, but a little more or less is fine)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp mustard seeds
Yoghurt sauce
1 cup Greek yoghurt
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp clear honey
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper
What to do:
Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Peel and cube your sweet potato into 2cm dice. Place them on a baking sheet and coat them well with the oil. Spread them out in a single layer and place in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked through. Place in a large bowl along with the kidney beans and roughly mash together while the potatoes are still warm, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa then cook in salted boiling water for 12 minutes, or until cooked. Drain in a fine sieve until all the excess water has gone. Set aside one third of the cooked quinoa in a bowl, then put the rest in with the potato and beans, along with the red onion, fresh coriander, spices and eggs. Mix everything together well and form into six patties. Then working with one patty at a time, gently but firmly press the remaining cooked quinoa all over the patty until covered. Repeat with all patties then set them aside in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.
To make the pickled beetroot, place the vinegar, sugar, water and mustard seeds in a saucepan and bring to a boil, simmer until the sugar has dissolved then remove from heat. Wash and coarsely grate the beetroot then place into a bowl and cover with the warm pickling liquid. Cover and allow to cool in the fridge then it’s ready to eat. For the yoghurt sauce, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and you’re done.
Now heat a frying pan over medium temperature and add some oil, then cook the patties for about five minutes on each side or until they are deep golden and the quinoa is crunchy.
Assemble your burgers with the yoghurt sauce on the bottom of your bun, then the patty, some drained beetroot and top with salad greens.
Makes 6 burgers
Recipe, photo and styling by Karen McFarlane
