It has been a while since I made burgers at home. When we feel like it, the boys and I go crazy with our homemade burgers – meat patties, bacon, eggs (sometimes), super melty cheese, the greens and the condiments – all the works! I have this packet of red lentils in my cupboard for more than a couple of months now. Honestly, I have forgotten about it along with an unopened jar of chilli and lime sambal in the fridge. Now, sambal is new to me but the flavours sound exciting – assorted chilli peppers with complementing flavours like lime, garlic, ginger, palm sugar and tamarind. Such punchy ingredients I imagined would be great with a vegetarian burger.
This is a very simple recipe. Lentils, roasted then smashed sweet potato, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. I used red lentils, which I cooked in simmering water for 30 minutes. Roasting the sweet potato first actually brings out the natural sugars, which adds flavour to the patty. Simple dressing of mayonnaise mixed with sambal really takes this into another level of deliciousness. Take note though that sambal can be hot so add a bit first then build up the heat according to your taste. Because seriously, vegetarian burger does not have to be boring.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1 sweet potato ( Enough to make 1 cup after roasted and smashed. Cut potato into chunks and roast it at 200C degrees for 30 minutes or until soft enough to easily smash them.)
- 4 pieces spring onions (white part only)
- 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons egg mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons, sambal
- halloumi cheese, fried
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- brioche burger buns
- snow peas sprouts ( or any salad leaves of your choice)
Method
- In a large bowl, mix all the first six ingredients.
- Using your hands, shape mixture into patties. This makes four pieces 1 cm thick patties or two thick ones.
- Keep in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- When ready, heat oil in frying pan. Place burger patties in pan, frying for 3-4 minutes, medium heat, on each side.
- Mix mayonnaise with sambal.
- Slice buns into halves and heat under grill for a minute.
- To assemble, spread sambal mayonnaise on grilled side of bun. Place burger patty on top. Add halloumi cheese then snow pea sprouts.
