Veggie Burgers

Potato-based veggie burgers are absolutely delicious. I like them mildly spicy and double coated with golden breadcrumbs for extra crispness. I'm going to share with you two versions. The first one has two main ingredients and doesn't require much preparation, the second one is made with more veggies and takes a little longer to prepare.

Potato Broccoli Burgers

I made these a few days ago after the Portobello Mushroom Burgers, because I still had some sweet and salty Whole Wheat Buns that I didn't want to go stale. The buns paired wonderfully with the crispy, spicy burgers.

• 5 medium/large white potatoes, peeled, washed, cut into 3-4 pieces

Boil the potatoes in water (no salt added) until a fork goes through them without much force (don't let them get mushy). Drain and reserve the water. Mash the potatoes until smooth and if necessary add a little of the reserved water to be able to shape the burgers without cracks. Season with salt, black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder and a pinch of nutmeg (use any spices and herbs you like).

• 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets (2 handfuls), wash and drain

Put some water in a small pot, add a little salt and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cover the pot with a lid. Let the broccoli cook for 1 minute. Drain and remove on paper towels to absorb excess water. Chop them finely and mix with the potatoes. Let the mixture rest until completely cooled or just warm.

Wet your hands and form burgers, about 6 cm (2.5") diameter, 1 cm height. I made 13. Make sure the edges are rounded. Place them on a lightly floured or wet plate.

In a bowl mix 5-6 Tb plain flour with water to obtain a slightly thick paste (like the crêpe batter) and add a little salt.

In another bowl add 250-300 g golden breadcrumbs. You can also use regular breadcrumbs for a smooth finish.

Dip the burgers in the paste one at a time and coat them well with breadcrumbs, patting them on both sides so the crumbs stick. Finish making all the burgers, then repeat the paste/crumbs process, starting with the first burger you made. This will ensure the extra crispness.

Heat some oil in a pan (enough to cover the burgers) on medium. Deep fry the burgers until golden brown, starting with the first one and turning them once or twice for an even colour. Remove on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with toasted buns, sliced tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. You can also add ketchup and vegan cheese slices.


Veggie Burgers

This is more a suggestion than a recipe, because when I made these burgers I didn't write down the amounts I used.

Boil the potatoes as above. Mash them half way, leaving a few small chunks. Don't add water at this point, because the other veggies will add some moisture.

Add 1 tsp oil to a pan on medium-high heat and sauté some chopped mushrooms, finely chopped red bell pepper and chopped leek until tender and dry (season to taste; I sometimes add a little red wine or soy sauce). You can sauté them together or separately.

Cut one small broccoli into florets and cook as above.

Let all the veggies cool and mix them together. Season with salt, pepper, herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, dill etc.) and spices (I like curry powder, cumin and coriander).

Follow the instructions above to make the burgers, but use egg replacer powder instead of flour to make the paste. Once all the burgers are made, let them rest for about 10 minutes. This way the breadcrumbs will absorb moisture from the paste and ensure uniform crispness. Don't brown the burgers too much. Everything inside them is already cooked, you just want to make sure the crust is cooked as well.

You can add any ingredients you want (including grated cheese), as long as there is enough potato mash to hold everything together and the ingredients are not wet, otherwise there will be a lot of steam forming inside the burgers while frying and they will crack.

Enjoy and spread the magic!

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