Crunchy veggies, curry, turmeric, and chickpea flour create a unique veggie burger full of fiber and protein. Once pan-seared or baked, these bhaji burgers are crispy and flavorful, and make a great vegan meal on your bun of choice.
Last year when I was pulled away from the kitchen for a couple of weeks I tried a vegan meal kit service, called Purple Carrot which I love because its recipe kits highlight different cuisines. One was Bhaji, an Indian type of fritter, most often made from onions and deep fried. Purple Carrot’s recipe specified pan-searing the bhajis. They were delicious and I think of them often. However, why not make them bigger, I thought, and thus was born the Veggie Bhaji Burger! What’s more, and what makes them unique is the use of chickpea flour to bind them together.
What are Bhajis?
Bhaji refers to a type of fritter (ingredients mixed with flour and fried) from India. Along with Pakora, Bhajis are made in different ways, depending on the region of India where they are from. In general, though, the ingredients are held together with chickpea flour, and this is the main reason I became so interested in making them. While chickpea flour has been used for centuries in India, it is not used that much in this country, and I was curious.
Above: Behold the beauty of making bhaji burgers with colorful beets, green cabbage, and red onion, topped with black sesame seeds and a golden yogurt sauce full of turmeric and lemon.
Why Make this Bhaji Burger Recipe?
- Unique from other Veggie Burgers – This recipe includes three colorful veggies (see ingredient notes for more info). That along with the spices and flecks of sesame seeds creates a beautiful bhaji burger. The use of chickpea flour (a.k.a. gram or Besan flour) brings ample protein to the burgers in a way no other veggie burgers do, and offers a different and delicious flavor profile, as a result.
- Nutritious – This recipe specifies pan-searing or baking the burger, which is always a healther method of cooking veggie burgers. Chickpea flour adds fiber and protein, and the yogurt sauce adds additional protein (and/or healthy fats, depending on what type you use).
- Flavorful – I can’t get over how tasty these are based on the combo of spices in the batter and the inherent flavor of the chickpea flour. The roasted beets add flavor as well, while the cabbage and onion are milder. It’s the kind of flavor one takes a moment to savor and contemplate, after taking a bite (not kidding!).
- Texture – The shredded vegetables and hearty chickpea flour, combined with the method of pan-searing or baking the bhaji yields a burger that is slightly crispy and crunchy throughout. No mushy veggie burger here.
- Easy and Quick – Slicing/grating veggies, mixing with batter, and then quickly searing or baking all at once makes for quick work.
Chickpea Flour
Also known as Besan or Gram Flour, Chickpea Flour is a popular ingredient in India, made from chickpeas of different types. Unlike grain flours, it is made from a legume (bean) and as a result, is highly nutritious with protein and fiber. Also unlike all-purpose flour, chickpea flour has a distinct nutty flavor, adding substantially to the flavor of the bhajis. Using chickpea flour in these bhajis creates a high fiber (7 grams) and protein-rich meal (11-14g), when you serve with the yogurt sauce as well.
Above: Bhaji batter made with chickpea flour, cornstarch, and spices.
Mediterranean Food Pyramid Ingredient Notes:
- Variety of vegetables – Without getting overly technical, this recipe contains cabbage from the cruciferous group of veggies, beets from the root vegetable family, and onions from the group called alliums (rich in flavanols that fight disease).
- Chickpea flour – legumes are emphasized in the main part of the food pyramid, based on their nutrition, especially fiber and protein, as described above.
- Spices – Alongside veggies and legumes, spices are included in the largest part of the food pyramid due to their antioxidants. This recipe includes turmeric, curry, cumin, and coriander.
- Sesame seeds – these hidden little gems add an important part of the food pyramid to these bhajis, and along with their nutrition, they add flavor, crunch, and beauty to the dish.
- Yogurt sauce – Soy yogurt is high in protein like dairy yogurt, which you could also use. As a legume, soy is considered more nutritious on the food pyramid, but dairy yogurt is also considered higher up on the pyramid.
Above: Vegetable bhaji made with a trio of cabbage, beets, and red onions.
Method + Timing
- Roast beets – This can be done a day ahead. See the info box below about roasting beets. This recipe uses cooked beets for the most flavor, but it’s ok to use raw if you don’t have time to cook the beets. The bhaji will be crunchier.
- Prepare veggies – Slice the cabbage and onions, and grate the beets.
- Make the batter – Mix the chickpea flour with the various spices and cornstarch (helps lighten the batter and aid in crispiness), then stir in the prepped veggies.
- Cook the burgers – Use 1/2 cup of batter for each burger (see info box below) and pan-sear for a couple of minutes on each side, in avocado oil (or other flavorless oil). Alternatively, you can bake the burger(s) at once at a high temperature (see details in the recipe card below).
- Yogurt Sauce – mix the yogurt with lemon juice, turmeric, and a pinch of salt for a flavorful and colorful sauce/dip. If not familiar with the taste of turmeric, go lightly to start, and season to taste. It’s a bit more distinct than the flavor of curry powder, which you can use if you prefer.
Forming Bhaji Burgers
You can form one patty that is just shy of 1/2″ thick or form two patties for one serving that are wide enough for the bun, and 1/4″ thin or less. Making two patties guarantees crispiness throughout, whereas with one patty you have to make sure to cook long enough for the inner batter to cook, and it won’t be as crispy. I’ve done both with success.
Above-batter making steps: 1. Mix up the dry ingredients for the batter. 2. Mix the sliced/grated veggies into the batter. 3. Bhaji batter resembles veggies coated with batter. It is thicker than pancake batter and the veggies are predominant.
Roasting Beets
Wash whole beets and either wrap in foil or place on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven for up to 2 hours (per 1/2lb beet), until a fork pierces into the center of the beet without much resistance. Once cooled, you can grate the beet. It is unnecessary to peel the beet, especially in this case where the beet is grated, because the less attractive skin will not be seen. Feel free to roast well ahead of time when convenient. Raw beets can be grated for this recipe as well, and will yield a crunchier bhaji.
Above-cooking bhaji: 1. Burgers searing in a cast iron skillet using 1 tbsp of avocado oil. 2. Burgers after baking in the oven (alternative cooking method).
Serving, Reheating + Substitutions
- Serving – These are filling and make a complete protein-rich meal for 4. Serve on your bun of choice (I found myself some fun pretzel buns), and top with the yogurt sauce. The addition of a fermented veggie or kraut adds a nice tang to the flavors. I also add microgreens (or any green).
- Reheating – You can freeze or refrigerate leftovers. The best way to reheat is to place on a pre-heated skillet (I swear by my cast iron), reduce heat to medium and cover for 2-3 minutes, flip, and heat another minute.
- Substitutions – The chickpea flour should not be replaced with regular flour, since regular flour has little fiber or protein and will produce a different end product (you’d need eggs for a flour-based fritter). You could use other veggies, for sure, but this combo produces a great texture and flavor, as developed. Different yogurts can be used as described throughout this post.
Above: A plated bhaji burger looks beautiful with microgreens on the bun and topped with yogurt sauce, black sesame seeds, and my favorite “Real Pickles” pickled carrots (not an affiliate link).
FAQs
Bhaji are made traditionally, throughout India.
Bhaji can refer to a veggie fritter (usually onion) mixed with chickpea flour and deep fried. However, India is a huge country, bhaji can varies across the country, and can refer to a curry type of stewed veggies as well. Fritter type bhaji, as described here is only one type of bhaji made across India. The name varies region as well.
The names are based on the regions in India where they are made. Bhajis are typical in the West of India, while Pakoras are names as such in Northern India.
No, pav bhaji refers to a recipe made with veggies stewed with tomatoes in a special blend of Indian spices, whereas bhaji are fritters made from onions and chickpea flour batter.
Above: These veggie bhaji burgers with all the fixings are a great upgrade to your veggie burger game.
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Veggie Bhaji Burgers (spiced vegan veggie burgers)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour (a.k.a. gram or besan flour (see notes))
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 garlic clove large (minced or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds ((black,white or mixture))
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion ((can sub white/yellow))
- 1 cup grated beet ((golden or red, roasted or raw-see notes))
- 2 tbsp avocado oil ((or other flavorless oil- if searing-see notes))
Turmeric Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain, unflavored soy yogurt ((or any plant-based or dairy yogurt))
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (see notes)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 pinch of sea salt
Optional Burger Toppings (specific ideas versus your typical ones you might already like and have)
- 1 cup microgreens
- 1 cup fermented/pickled veggies or krauts ((often sold near tofu in produce))
Method:
Ahead of time: Roasting Beets (optional-see notes)
- clean 1-2 beets, wrap in foil or place on pan and roast in oven for up to 2 hours at 350 (until fork can pierce to center of beet without too much resistance)
- Store beet(s) in fridge until ready to make bhajis or at least let cool enough to handle (30 minutes).
Making the Bhajis
- If planning to bake (instead of pan searing) preheat oven to 450 with rack in upper 1/4 of oven.
- Whisk first 9 ingredients (dry batter ingredients plus garlic) in mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup water and whisk to incorporate, forming bhaji batter. Set aside.
- Slice cabbage and onion, and grate the beets. Mix altogether in small bowl (should be about 3 cups total)
- Toss the mixed veggies into batter with fork until veggies are coated. Reference photo of how coated veggie batter looks. See notes.
Make Yogurt sauce
- Mix yogurt, turmeric, lemon juice and salt together and set aside for flavors to meld while you make the bhajis.
To Pan Sear Bhajis
- Heat 1 or 2 tbsp oil in saute pan on medium high (see notes), until glistening.
- Form patties as you go, placing directly into pan (about 4 overall) using 1/2c batter per burger. SEE NOTES BELOW FOR TWO OPTIONS.
- Cook patties for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on heat, etc. until nicely browned on each side. See notes about amount of oil. Once done, remove and place on paper towel on plate. Now is the time to salt patties if desired (salt sticks to warm patties).
To Bake Bhajis
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Line sheet pan with parchment paper and brush with a bit of olive oil (or cooking spray), place patties on pan and brush tops lightly with oil or spray again. These tiny amounts of oil/spray help with browning. See notes.
- Bake patties for about 15 min, until browned, ideally flipping midway for even browning.
- Serve burgers with yogurt sauce. Green herbs and black sesame seeds make lovely garnishes as do micro greens and pickled veggies or krauts.
We made the Veggie Bhaji Burgers and they were FABULOUS! Kathy provides all the practical steps as well as the cultural context and the nutritional values and these came out perfectly. The recipe provided enough for two adults and one hungry vegetarian twenty-three-year-old son. I am the dad in our family and not the primary chef and I admit to being easily intimidated by dishes much more complicated than a slab of hamburgers or a piece of fish – but, once the ingredients [many we already had on hand] are on the counter, this was really easy. We substituted zucchini for the beets and Kathy is expert at detailing options. We formed the patties in the pan with olive oil in the portion recommended and seared three minutes on each side at a medium heat and they were golden and delicious. We will definitely make these again!
Thanks so much for giving it a shot Jay, and glad the family enjoyed them :).