I have never really been a burger girl (even in my meat-eating past). Although, every once in a while, I would lust after a big, messy, juicy one. That lust came by last week. I made myself the best vegetarian burger I have ever had. No kidding. And I have sampled a couple of vegetarian burgers. From Hudson’s to… wait for it… McDonald’s (*cue in ‘Please don’t judge me’*).

The burger was (almost) all home-made. I made my own patty and added my own fillings (the roll was store-bought though). I can’t seem to find the recipe I used for the patty, but there are tonnes on the internet. Try this one… or this one.

My recipe* went something like this:

What you’ll need:

• Black eye beans- you can use any kind of bean. Even chick peas and lentils, I imagine.
• 1 onion- chopped finely
• 4 cloves of garlic-peeled and pounded
• Mixed herbs (fresh or ground) : basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 egg

*Most recipes out there called for breadcrumbs. I didn’t have any and it still turned out fine

What to do:
Boil 250g black eye beans till soft (careful not to over-boil) ahead of time. (Alternatively use canned beans)
Drain completely in a colander

• Grease baking tray with olive oil
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Mash the beans with a fork till pasty
• Add in garlic, herbs and garlic and mix
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Add in the egg and mix into a good paste
  *Again, most recipes call for breadcrumbs

• Take 1-2 tbsp of the mix and shape into a patty in your hands and place on the greased tray.
• Place tray with patties in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes and cook till top is golden brown.
• Flip patties to let the reverse side brown as well for another 5-10 minutes then remove from oven.

I got a yield of about 10 patties.

PS: 1 or 2 patties broke. I should think mashing better and/or another egg and/or breadcrumbs would fix this.

Halfway there!
Get yourself some rolls, lettuce, onion rings, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, cucumbers and whatnot. Stuff that roll with your fillings and a patty or two! Sauces of choice, and there, yummy in your tummy.

Have I mentioned my dream of opening a vegetarian restaurant in Nairobi some time? Well yeah, you can bet that this panty-wetting burger will be on that menu! (after I perfect it)

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