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Hearty burgers with sweet potato, quinoa and kidney beans, topped with a light and creamy tzatziki

Sweet Potato Bean Burgers with Hung Curd Tzatziki

Hearty burgers with sweet potato, quinoa and kidney beans, topped with a light and creamy tzatziki
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes: 8 burgers and 1 heaped cup tzatziki
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Ingredients
  

For the burgers

  • 1/3 cup kidney beans/rajma, soaked overnight
  • 500 gms sweet potatoes
  • 1/3 cup quinoa (see notes)
  • 1 cup rolled or quick-cooking oats
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
  • Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, chilli flakes, garlic powder, oregano
  • Olive oil for frying

For the tzatziki

  • 400 gms curd/yoghurt, hung in a cheesecloth for 3 to 4 hours till all the water is drained
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tbsps lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • A few sprigs of fresh dill, finely chopped
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  • First, prep the burger ingredients. Cook the kidney beans in a pressure cooker till tender. Set aside to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 C. Slice the potatoes down the middle lengthwise and then cut any large ones horizontally in half. The pieces should be roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Place them cut side-down on a silicon-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until you can easily prick each piece with a fork. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then scoop out the insides of each piece and add to a large mixing bowl. Leave to cool completely.
  • In the meantime, rinse the quinoa, then transfer to a small saucepan with 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. Take off the heat, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining water and set aside to cool.
  • Finally, blitz the oats in a grinder or food processor, leaving some larger bits for texture.
  • In the mixing bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the kidney beans, quinoa, oats, onion, coriander and seasonings. Mash very well with a potato masher or big spoon, letting the beans break up a little. Once the mixture is very well mixed (use your hands if needed), adjust the seasonings, then cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for 20 to 30 minutes to make it easy to handle and let the flavours meld.
  • In the meantime, use a fine sieve or your palms to drain the cucumber of all excess water and add to a mixing bowl along the hung curd and all the remaining tzatziki ingredients. Mix well till light and creamy, adjusting seasonings as needed. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
  • Finally, fry the burgers by heating 1 to 2 tbsps olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Shape the mixture into 8 equal sized patties, flatten lightly and place 3 or 4 on the pan at a time. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden-brown.
  • To assemble the burgers, spread a little wholegrain mustard on the lower half of a burger bun, top with lettuce, then the burger patty, sliced tomatoes and a big dollop of tzatziki. Take the biggest bite you can and enjoy!

Notes

*The quinoa adds moisture and binds the mixture together. If you don't have it, reduce the oats to 1/2 cup and continue (oats absorb moisture and can quickly dry the burgers out in the absence of quinoa, so using less oats works well).
*Dill (shepu or suva if you're in India) gives the tzatziki it's signature flavour and I would not recommend skipping it. If you can't find it, fresh mint works too.
*If you do not have a pressure cooker to cook the beans a sturdy pot with a lid will work too, but it will take 1 to 2 hours for the beans to soften completely. Or go to TheKitchn for some tips on how to cook beans faster. Alternatively, use pre-cooked beans.
*Burgers and tzatziki from Cookie and Kate