Vegan Veggie Burger Recipe (Bhaji Burger)
Crunchy veggies, curry, turmeric, and chickpea flour create a unique veggie burger full of fiber and protein. The Indian spices and shredded vegetables give the burgers the flavor and flair of Indian street food bhajis. Once pan-seared or baked, these vegan veggie burgers are crispy and flavorful, and make a great vegan meal on your bun of choice.
Servings: 4
Calories: 301kcal
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
- 1 cup microgreens
- 1 cup fermented/pickled veggies or krauts (often sold near tofu in produce)
Instructions
Ahead of time: roasting beets - 2hrs (optional-see notes)
- clean 1-2 beets, to yield 1 cup grated beet, 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 bhaji batter -15min
- Whisk first 9 ingredients (1 cup chickpea flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 garlic clove large, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric , 1 tsp ground cumin , 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tbsp sesame seeds,1/2 tsp sea salt) in mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup water and whisk to incorporate, forming bhaji batter. Set aside.
- Mix 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage and 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, and the grated beets (roasted or raw, your choice). 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 -5min
- Mix 1 cup plain, unflavored soy yogurt, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 lemon, juicedand 1 pinch of sea salt together and set aside for flavors to meld while you make the bhajis.
To pan fry bhajis - 10min
- Heat 1 or 2 tbsp avocado 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 - 15min
- Preheat oven to 450 with rack in upper 1/4 of oven.
- 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.
Serving
- Serve burgers with yogurt sauce. Green herbs and black sesame seeds make lovely garnishes as do 1 cup microgreens and 1 cup fermented/pickled veggies or krauts.
Notes
Chickpea flour: readily available in bulk bins or packaged (i.e. Bob's Red Mill) as chickpea flour or Besan (gram) flour. You can make these with another grain flour but they will not have the same nuttiness and full flavor. Typical veggie fritters will use all-purpose flour and eggs to form the patties, but these are vegan and distinct in their use of chickpea flour.
Beets: I like to roast a beet or two and grate them. This gives the bhajis a nice mix of crunchy and softer veggies and a lot of flavor. You can sub raw beets, or use grated zucchini if you dislike beets.
Burger Size: I offer two options for sizing burgers, both of which I have had success with. 1. Each patty is as wide as the bun and no more than 1/2" thick. You must ensure you cook long enough for inner batter to cook up. 2. Each patty is as wide as the bun but no more than 1/4" thick. Serve 2 patties per burger bun with this option. You can ensure crispy burger throughout.
Oil for pan-searing: I add 1 tbsp of oil per batch of 4 patties. You can experiment with even less oil and still achieve a nice crispy brown pattie if you are super conscious of how much oil you consume.
Turmeric in yogurt sauce: I love turmeric, but if you do not, you can sub with curry powder or garam masala for a similar flavor.
Yogurt: if you use dairy greek yogurt, protein per serving of bhajis = 14g.
Nutrition
Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 4mg | Magnesium: 85mg | Net Carbohydrates: 31g