Forbidden Burger
The possibilities of veggie burgers always excite me but none as much as this Black Beauty. In my opinion, veggie burgers really have it all- fun layers of delicious flavours in perfect harmony! But a veggie burger didn’t always have its time in the limelight. I remembered the times when pictures of veggie burgers looked sad, soggy and uninspiring. But not anymore! Type in #veggieburger on Instagram and it seems like the hippest thing on the table these days (I’m biased, of course). Pictures of people queuing up for veggie/ meat alternatives burgers generate buzz at a time when people are interested in eating greener and healthier.
And on days when I feel like turning indulgent fast food into new and nourishing creations, I turn to my favourite staples- mushrooms, rice and black beans. This has become my go to comfort food.
Vegan, gluten free charcoal buns
Makes 6 burgers
Spicy Broccoli/broccolini topping:
120 grams Broccoli/Broccolini florets
6 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon juice
For the Patties:
200 grams brown/white mushrooms
200 g black forbidden rice, cooked
400 grams (2 cans) black beans, drained, rinsed, mashed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
40 grams scallions, thinly sliced
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper, ground
3 tbs tamari
2 tbs nutritional yeast
150 grams oats, ground
2 tbs olive oil
ASSEMBLY
To make spicy broccoli:
Heat up a pan to high heat and flash fry the broccoli/broccolini quickly in a dry pan. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and lemon juice.
To make the patties:
Place a frying pan over medium high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Fry the mushrooms for 5-8 mins or until golden and fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.
Combine mashed black beans with black rice, mushrooms and rest of ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 mins or overnight.
Weigh 140 grams of mixture and shape each into a patty. Place a pan over medium high heat with olive oil. Fry the patties for 2-4 minutes per side till crispy.
Spread bun with vegan mayo, top with marinated peppers, patty and top with broccolini.