Green lentil, feta, chickpea and spice bomb burger with turmeric and harissa yoghurt

Name: Green lentil, feta, chickpea and spice bomb burger with turmeric and harissa yoghurt
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4 generous burgers
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying; scant ¾ cup green lentils; enough vegetable stock to just cover the lentils (about 1 cup, touch more); 400g can chickpeas; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbsp freshly ground coriander seeds; 1 tbsp freshly ground cumin seeds; 1 egg yolk; 2 tbsp plain flour; ¼ cup feta; ¾ cup frozen peas, rinsed under hot water; 2 spring onions, finely chopped; ½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped; ½ bunch mint, roughly chopped

Katrina Meynink

September 22, 2020

No, that's not American mustard, it's turmeric and harissa yoghurt.Katrina Meynink

Time:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:4 generous burgers

This is the perfect spring burger. Green and virtuous, light and flavoursome. If you wanted to keep it vegan, you can omit the egg yolk but please realise it will be a far more crumbly texture without its protein binding capabilities.

Ingredients

Patties

1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
scant ¾ cup green lentils
enough vegetable stock to just cover the lentils (about 1 cup, touch more)
400g can chickpeas
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp freshly ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp freshly ground cumin seeds
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp plain flour
¼ cup feta
¾ cup frozen peas, rinsed under hot water
2 spring onions, finely chopped
½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped
½ bunch mint, roughly chopped

Turmeric and harissa yoghurt

70g tub Greek-style yoghurt
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp harissa, or to taste

To serve

4 brioche rolls
good quality barbecue sauce or ketchup
¼ small red onion, peeled, very finely sliced
mix of coriander, basil and flat-leaf parsley leaves
small handful spinach leaves per burger (or any other leafy greens)

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 2
Add the lentils and stock to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer until the lentils are just cooked and the stock has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Strain and add to a blender with the remaining patty ingredients, except for the flour, and pulse briefly in few-second rounds. You want the ingredients to be just combined, we are not making a dip here, the chunks and slight variations in texture and consistency are all good things.
Step 4
Stir through the flour until incorporated in the mixture, then shape into 4 patties and place in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the yoghurt.
Step 5
For the turmeric and harissa yoghurt, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.
Step 6
Place an ovenproof frypan over medium heat. Add the oil and once hot, add the patties. Leave on each side for 1-2 minutes before flipping. As soon as you flip the burgers, remove the frypan from the heat and pop in the oven to cook the patties for an additional 10 minutes. This allows the denser nature of the patties to cook through completely.
Step 7
To assemble, smear a brioche bun with the turmeric and harissa yoghurt. Add a pattie then top with ketchup or barbecue sauce, red onion, herbs and any green leaf (I used baby spinach and purple kale). Top with remaining brioche bun half and repeat with remaining patties and burgers. Serve immediately.

Continue this series

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