Yes, it’s meat-free but even avowed carnivores will enjoy this flavour-packed burger. Don’t skimp on the herbs and spices, and I love it with lashings of crushed avocado too.
INGREDIENTS
Burgers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 medium beetroot, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons Moroccan spice mix (I used Jonathan’s Spices)
2 x 400 gram tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup packed mint leaves, finely chopped
finely grated zest 1 lemon
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To assemble
4 large hamburger buns, toasted or grilled
mayonnaise
any of the following toppings: lettuce, avocado, grated raw yellow beetroot or carrots, alfalfa sprouts, snow pea shoots, tomato, feta, fried egg
METHOD
Burgers: Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the onion for 4 minutes. Grate the beetroot on the coarse side of a box grater. Add the beetroot, garlic, cumin and Moroccan spice mix with a good pinch of salt to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, turning often. Cool.
Put the cooled onion mixture into a food processor with all the remaining ingredients. Season generously and pulse until well combined but still retaining a little texture.
Divide into 4 patties the same size as the buns and chill for 30 minutes to firm up. The patties can be made 2 days ahead.
To assemble: Heat a little olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the burgers for 3 minutes each side. Spread the warm buns with mayonnaise then top with the patties. Add the toppings of your choice and serve immediately. Makes 4
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.