586.Chickpea Quinoa Burgers

A New Home
  Moving homes is not a joke at all. In fact its very stressful. When one accumulates all the things one has into boxes, you realise that its a lot of stuff! How much can one person own in a lifetime? A lot! New gadgets, new crockery, new clothes, new shoes, all with different designs and colours and we  buy it. The world of advertisement is certainly doing a very good job. Though I may own a frying pan which can double as my tawa and use it to roast rotis on, I still want one for the parathas, one for the eggs, and perhaps different sizes too, a small for the fried eggs, a medium for the chilas and perhaps a big one for the dosas or crepes. Our wants and needs are endless.
   We had got the removal company to help us. I realised that they didn't really understand the concept of packing a box to the maximum, using every empty space to fit in all the goods. They just dumped everything in the box and packed it up, half empty or with still with a bit more space. I think before they becomes packers they all should be given a suitcase and basic things we normally travel with and a bit more and ask them to pack that all in a small suitcase and should weigh only 15kgs. Then perhaps they will understand how to use every nook and cranny of a box.
   Once we dealt with the packers, then comes the worst part.... setting up home. If patience could be weighed, then I probably have a tonne of it! Patience with all the various fundis as we call them in Kenya or repairmen/vendors. Right from the guy who is suppose to measure your windows for the curtains to the bathroom accessory fitter, no ones really keeps time. So waiting patiently for them to turn up has become a part of my daily routine now.
    Having said all that, the most satisfying part of the whole procedure is when the house slowly takes shape of a home. And yes, my daughter and I are getting there slowly but surely. The kitchen is functional, we've got a small garden in the balcony and hopefully by the end of the week, our bathrooms will be fully equipped, curtains will be hung up and we'll have more time to prepare for the wedding.  
    A functional kitchen meant that I could take part in the 57th theme
of#FoodieMonday#Bloghop which is#burger fillings. We had to make a burger filling and opt for ready made or home baked buns.  I opted for ready made buns. Since I arrived in Bangalore, we've been having take aways and eating at restaurants as the kitchen was not functional. It got fully set up and running last Wednesday. So Thursday I knew I was going to cook at home. Fed up of eating heavily spiced and chilli food, my daughter and I wanted to have something healthy, light and not spicy.
   So then I thought why not make the burger filling healthy without much spices. Also I had to make something that was rich in protein(my daughter is following a diet whereby dinner has to be protein rich). Quinoa and chickpeas are both rich in protein. I added the potato to hold everything together. My daughter decided to have the burger fillings without the buns.
    So who says that burgers are junk food? Burgers can be healthy and tasty at the same time. Instead of serving them with the normal french fries I opted to serve them with a healthy salad. Fresh dill was enough to add flavour to the filling. Serve these burgers without feeling any guilt. Filling and super healthy.

Chickpea Quinoa Burgers
Serves 4

For the burger filling:
1/4 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup mashed potato ( 1 small potato boiled and peeled)
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 -1 tsp salt
6-8 chopped green olives
2 tbsp chickpea flour (chana/besan flour)
3-4 tbsp olive oil

For serving:
3-4 lettuce leaves, chopped
1 tomato, cut into rings
1 small cucumber, cut into round slices
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into slices
4 slices of cheddar cheese
4 burger buns

For the sauce :
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
a generous pinch of salt
1/4 tsp minced garlic

Preparation of the burger filling:

1. Wash the quinoa in a strainer or sieve under running water, gently rubbing it.
2. Boil water in a pan. When it comes to a boil, add the quinoa.
3. Cover the pan and cook the quinoa over low to medium heat till its done. Stir the mixture occasionally so that the quinoa does not stick to the pan.
4. In the meantime, process the cooked chickpeas in a food processor to a coarse paste.
5. Put the minced chickpea paste into a boil.
6. Add the mashed potato, chopped dill, garlic, salt, pepper, olives, chana flour and the cooked quinoa.
7. Mix everything well. The mixture should not be watery at all.
8. Divide the mixture into 4 parts.
9. Oil your hands lightly with some olive oil. Form each part into a thick disc, according to the size of the buns.
10. Put the patties in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preparation of the sauce:

1. Put a muslin or cotton cloth in a sieve or colander. Add yogurt to it and let the water drain out for 15-20 minutes. 
2. Add fresh chopped coriander salt and garlic and mix well.
3. Keep the sauce on the side till required.

Preparation of the burgers:

1. Heat a wide pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and place the patties in the pan.
2. Let the patties cook till they turn light golden brown.
3. Flip them over and cook the other side till it becomes light golden colour. 
4. Remove the cooked patties from the pan and keep them on the side.
5. Cut each burger into half.
6. Lightly toast them under the grill or in a frying pan. I allowed them to toast on the pan without adding any extra oil.
7. Now its time to assemble the burgers. Put some shredded lettuce on the bottom halves of the burger buns. Top with sliced cucumber, carrot,tomato and cheese. Place the patties on the bed of vegetables and cheese. Top with a tbsp of the sauce. Place the top parts of the burger buns over the patties. Chickpea quinoa burgers are ready to be served.

Tips:

• Serve the burgers with your choice of vegetables.
• You can serve tomato ketchup and chilli sauce with the burgers.
• Add finely chopped spring onion to the burger filling if you like.
• If you find that there is some water left when you cook the quinoa, strain it out.

You may want to check out the following:

cemita buns

bean burger

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