Learn to make the Indian style sweet potato black bean veggie burger patties that are tender, hearty, delicious and flavour-packed with Indian spices.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr25 minutesmins
Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6patties
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
500gramssweet potatoes washed and skin scrubbed
1canblack beansrinsed and drained (400g ) (see notes for substitute)
1mediumoniondiced finely
2teaspoonginger garlic paste
5 to 6green chilliesfinely chopped
handful fresh coriander leaveschopped
½teaspoonturmeric powder
1teaspooncumin powder
1teaspooncoriander powder
½teaspoonred chilli powder
1teaspoongaram masalasee notes for substitute
1tablespoonolive oil or ghee
¾cupoatscoarsely ground (see notes for substitute)
salt to taste
Oil to pan fryI used olive oil mixed with sunflower oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the sweet potatoes
Bake or boil or steam the sweet potatoes with skin until cooked through.
Oven roasting method - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Halve the sweet potatoes horizontally. Rub them with olive oil and place cut side down on a lined baking tray. Bake the sweet potatoes until soft for about 30 minutes and set aside.
Boiling method - Add the sweet potatoes into a large pot of water and Boil covered until tender. You can also pressure cook the sweet potatoes with skin on for 2 to 3 whistles.
Steaming method - Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Place the steamer colander in the pot and put the sweet potatoes with skin in it. Cover the pot and allow steam until you can insert a knife without resistance, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the thickness of the sweet potatoes. Using tongs, remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer basket and let rest for 5 minutes.
Peel and discard the skin while still warm and add them into a large mixing bowl.
Prepare the black beans
Drain and rinse the canned black beans and let them sit in the colander until you have the rest ingredients ready to use. This will give the beans time to drain completely.
Prepare the burger patties mixture
Roughly mash the sweet potatoes using a fork or a potato masher. Add the chopped red onions, green chillies, fresh coriander leaves, ginger-garlic paste, and the spice powders (turmeric, red chilli, coriander, cumin and garam masala).
Add the drained black beans and salt to taste and mix everything thoroughly.
Start adding the ground oats until the mixture is no longer too wet but holds together when you shape a portion into a patty.
Cover and refrigerate the patty mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes to help the oats soak up any moisture.
Shape the burger patties
Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions for standard burger buns. If making sliders, then make more portions as per your needs. You can use a measuring cup to make the patties uniform in size.
Lightly wet your hands with water or oil and shape the patties into a disc of the bun size. Place them on a greased tray and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm to touch.
Cook the burger patties on a stove-top
Heat two to three tablespoons of olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
Place 2 or 3 patties and cook on low to medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to scoop some oil and spoon over the top of the patties. Do not flip until the patties are firm to turn.
Flip each patty carefully and let it roast for another 5 minutes. The patties are firm outside and tender inside.
Add more oil if required before placing the remaining patties. You may keep the remaining patties in the freezer until frozen completely before you can pack them in a ziplock for later use.
Remove the patties from the pan and start assembling your burgers. Serve immediately.
Notes
Black beans: I have used canned black beans for convenience. If you have to cook from scratch, then soak a cup of beans overnight and pressure cook with a dash of salt. Drain and use in this recipe. You will need roughly 1 and ½ cups of cooked beans. Some of the other options are chickpeas, kidney beans like rajma, fava beans, lima, white, etc.
Oats: You can try replacing oats with quick-cooking oats, cooked bulgur, cooked rice, or soaked poha. I have had success with all these options but you have to adjust the quantity. If you are not on any diet, then feel free to use panko breadcrumbs. Whatever binder option you decide to use, add them in the end until the mixture firms up.
Garam Masala: For this batch, I went all Indian but previously I have made batches that are akin to middle eastern flavours. You can switch garam masala with a dash of cinnamon or allspice or nutmeg and a pinch of all three.