Burgers are my favourite, and rather than getting a deep fried one from a chain store, or a pre-packaged frozen one, I make this homemade burger, which has much more goodness.
What’s more it looks fancy, healthy, can be made as fancy as you want with the toppings and it’s pink!!! Serve with a side salad, and you’ve got dinner all set.
Beets are one my favourite roots, the beautiful deep red-purple-pinks bring out the best in any dish, brightening it up and creating a wonderful visual appeal.
Plus, have you heard the nutrition that they give you?? Natural potassium, vitamins, and the thing it does to your haemoglobin – it’s amazing. It’s also a great source of natural sugars, which can give you great energy for the day.
The deep purple hue is a great motivator for kids to eat them up too!
The beans satisfy the protein factor as well as provide the filling part. One medium sized burger is enough for a healthy appetite. (In my house, it is usually two per person!)
I pair the burgers with grilled onions and tomatoes, lettuce, sliced cheese, and homemade garlic sauce (try this once, and you will not buy bottled mayonnaise again!)
This is a very basic burger, with not many ‘difficult’ components, and each part can be done simultaneously once the chopping has been done.
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
The accompaniments section is completely your own call – feel free to add gherkins, peppers, jalapenos, avocado, olives… whatever takes your fancy.
Cheese is optional, but I mean, a burger sans cheese? Go away.
I have used Britannia Cheese Slices, but you can use Swiss cheese, mozzarella, feta crumbles or goat cheese.
There is a range of burger buns available at many local bakeries and supermarkets. Whole wheat, sesame seed, milk bread… choose whichever you prefer.
Under PREP TIME I note it as 12 hours, as I am accounting for the overnight soaking of the kidney beans. Under COOK TIME, I take into account the boiling of beet and potatoes.
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The Recipe
Serves Yields: 8 | Prep Time: 10 hours | Cook Time: 90 mins
Ingredients
- Patties
- 1 beet, boiled and mashed
- 1 cup kidney beans, boiled and mashed
- 2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp oregano
- 3 tbsp basil
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- Salt + Pepper
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Accompaniments:
- 8 burger buns
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 8 cheese slices
- 16 leaves of lettuce
- Garlic Sauce
- 1 cup thick yogurt
- 5-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled and halved
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt + Pepper
- Optional Relishes:
- Tomato ketchup
- Dijon mustard
- English mustard
- Green chutney
Instructions
- Patties:
- Sauté the garlic, onions and herbs until well cooked and fragrant.
- Add in the mashed potatoes, beets and beans.
- Add in the salt and cayenne pepper and mix well.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Form round patties the size of your burger bun.
- Coat the patties in breadcrumbs.
- Brush a non-stick pan with some oil and grill the patties on both sides until well done.
- Accompaniments:
- Heat a non-stick pan with on high. (NO OIL)
- Place the onions, sprinkle some salt and grill both sides until well done.
- Do the same for the tomatoes.
- Garlic Sauce:
- Roast the unpeeled garlic with some olive oil and salt in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes, or until softened.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Gently squeeze the garlic into the yogurt.
- Add the thyme, salt and pepper into the yogurt and gently mix.
- Assembling:
- Cut the burger buns into half, and remove some of the bread stuffing inside.
- Spread the garlic sauce on both sides.
- Place the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese and any other accompaniments/relishes you want.
- Place the warm patty and cover with the other side of the bun.
- Grill the bun on both sides on a non-stick pan with no oil.
