I’m not here to promote
vegetarianism but I will say that greens can look good. Even better, they can actually
taste good.
With this win-win proposition in
mind, I share the soya burger. Major protein, and wholesome. I’m sure
you’ll find umpteen variations on the net and recipe books but this recipe was inspired by freshly baked wholewheat burger buns at my nearby
bakey. That, and the fact that I needed to rustle up an alternative veggie
dinner for the folks.
As I rode home from the bakery,
I mentally ticked ran through possibilities for this recipe:
- The foundation. Soya nuggets
or crumbles. Check!
- Greens? Carrots. Cauliflower
or brocolli is good too. (The trick is to avoid water-heavy veggies like cabbage.)
- A non-egg binder. A boiled
potatoe that sat in my fridge. (You could use boiled chickpeas but why OD on
proteins.)
- A flavour edge? Spring onions!
- Texture? Seeds. Sesame and
flax get bonus points because the qualify as power foods (Omega 3, fibre,
antioxidants, calcium… need more?).
- Colour? Leave the finishing
touches to the garnish.
By the time I get home, I
realise that there are no spring onions. No worry. There’s always a way out.
Read on.
Step 1.
Boil drinking water with a
cinnamon stick, bay leaf and a couple of peppercorns. This takes away ‘soyaness’
from the nuggets.
Throw in the soya nuggets (2 big
handfuls for 4 odd cutlets) and a dash of milk (for a creamier texture). As it boils, throw in chunks
of carrots/veggies.
Switch off the gas and let them
cool. Drain out really well. Squeeze out
all the water from the nuggets. Keep aside with the boiled potatoe.
* Soya:Veggie proportion is
roughly 3:1.
Step 2.
In a warm pan, roast the seeds
and set aside.
Step 3.
Mince 4-6 cloves of garlic with
1 medium onion. In the same empty pan heat this paste. Once it’s brown and dry,
take it off the gas and add it into the soya-veggie mixture with salt and a
green chilly.
Step 4.
Puree the mixture till the
texture is as fine as you like. Do not add water. Add a cap or two of vinegar.
(No synthetic vinegar. Apple cider or balsamic work fine.)
Step 5.
Put the dense mixture into a
bowl, throw in your seeds and knead in lightly so they’re evenly spread. Also
check the salt and chilly proportions here.
Step 6.
Pour a little pure olive oil in
a bowl and use to make even round cutlets the diameter of the burger bun. You've not used any oil so far so it's fine to use well. Coat
with bread crumbs (this also helps dry out any extra moisture). You can even
add sesame seeds to the coating.
Step 7.
Pan fry the cutlets in pure
olive oil (Extra Virgin is not for cooking!). You’ll get a nice brown crust.
The packaging:
Halve and heat the burger buns.
Smear a thin layer of eggless Mayo (I stayed away from cheese) or thick hung
curd. Layer with thin rounds of tomatoe, capsicum or even raddish and cucumber.
If you like it spicy, add a jalapeno slice. Add on the cutlet and lettuce
leaves.
I prefer open burgers so we eat
less bread but feel free to cap it with the other wholewheat round.
If you want to have the cutlets
on their own, roll them smaller.
They go well with a tangy
tomatoe salsa/sauce or even a green chutney.
Chomp! Chomp!
**If you like mushrooms, add
them whole to the boiling water at the end but do not blend in with the soya
puree. Add finely chopped mushrooms with the seeds at the end.
***Also, for a 'desi' flavour, add chopped corriander into the puree and substitute tamarind paste
for the vinegar. Replace the breadcrumb coating with semolina but makes it slightly heavier.
****Statutory warning: While
vegans thank soya for its existence, too much of anything is bad. If you have
thyroid issue, please read up on a healthy/regular soya intake.
All in all, it’s a great cheat eat recipe: awesome to break the monotony, and a super disguise for veggies.
So... ya, go for it!
