Allied Press Magazine Logo
03 magazine logo

Recipe: Plant-based burger patty ideas

28 May 2021
Category:
Falafel Burger On A Wooden Rustic Table
PHOTO: GETTY

Kiwi Gardener's Marilyn Wightman shares her plant-based alternatives to the meat patty. 

Rather than slapping a T-bone steak in the pant, here are some plant-based burger patty ideas to try. Even the children will enjoy these alternatives, and they can easily play a part in the preparation. Serve with a salad, freshly picked from your garden. 

Tasty and flavoured with fresh summer garden herbs, these meat-free recipes can be prepared a day or two ahead of a planned barbecue and stored in the fridge. They can also be frozen and retrieved as needed, and you can even cook them from frozen if you have unexpected guests and you suddenly require more food.  

The plant-based burger patties are soft and not as dense as meat patties. Handle them gently and turn the patties just once when barbecuing.  

Falafel patties

Ingredients
250g chickpeas, cooked
2 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
½ tsp cumin
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp coriander or dill
1 Tbsp mint
cayenne pepper
salt to taste
wheatgerm

Method
1. Purée the chickpeas and garlic. (Add some retained cooking water if needed.)
2. Chop the fresh herbs finely.
3. Put in a bowl and add other ingredients.
4. Spoon onto a board coated with wheatgerm and roll into patty shapes.
5. Barbecue or grill.

Tips
Place patties on a sheet of baking paper and chill before cooking to help them retain their shape.
When cooking dried chickpeas, lentils or beans, do not add salt to the cooking water. Instead, add salt, if needed, when preparing the patty mix.

Lentil patties

Ingredients
3 cups (approx.) lentils
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
3 tsp fresh herbs (sage, marjoram and
thyme mix), chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 egg
3 Weet-Bix or 1 cup rolled oats
salt to taste
wheatgerm or breadcrumbs

Method
1. Rinse just over 2½ cups of dried lentils and put into boiling water, simmering for 40 minutes until soft to bite. Drain and use, or store in fridge. Alternatively, use a can of prepared lentils that have been drained.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Put patty-size portions onto a floured tray and roll in wheatgerm or breadcrumbs till coated.
4. Grill gently on the barbecue or place on a baking tray and cook in oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram