Here's another one of my meatless burger creations: Spicy Curry Lentil Burgers. Until recently, I was very skeptical of veggie burgers, after all I grew up with meaty, juicy, burgers. But, like with all things, I had to give it a chance.
So, my veggie burger adventure began with chickpea burgers, followed by black bean burgers. Let me tell you what, I was a convert. I now love veggie burgers. If you are anything like me, you probably have a vegetarian friend or two. Lately though it seems like every other person I meet is a vegetarian. I just met one last night, at a dinner party, and guess what? We discussed veggie burgers!
Why lentils are versatile
For the love of lentils! So now, here we are with curried lentil burgers. I absolutely love lentils, and curry as well. This is a pretty easy recipe for lentil burgers and also super healthy. It is drizzled with a yogurt avocado sauce. My advice on this one is to skip the bun and serve this tasty patty on a bed of greens, which makes it totally gluten-free! Now, if you are feeling overly ambitious, you can make your own curry, just like I do. Whatever you decide to do, I think you will love these spicy curry lentil burgers.
Lentil History
Lentils have a fascinating history. Lentils are thought to have originated in Central Asia, and one of the first foods to have been cultivated nearly 10,000 years ago. The Roman culinary master Apicius mentioned several lentil recipes in his books. Lentils are also mentioned in the Bible on a couple of occasions: Jacob traded his brother Esau his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Jacob was hungry after spending all day working in the fields.
A bowl of lentils looked pretty appetizing to hungry Jacob. Lentils were also used by the Jewish people to make a bread during the exile years in Babylon. In some parts of Italy lentils are eaten at New Year celebrations as a symbol of desired prosperity for the coming year. Today the leading producers of lentils are: India, Syria, China and Turkey. Lentils are super healthy! 1 cup of lentils has 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of dietary fiber. Lentils are also rich in B vitamins, potassium, Calcium and Zinc.
These spicy curry lentil burgers are made with onions, garlic, carrots, cilantro, and chickpea flour to bind everything together. Feel free to improvise. As I always say, a recipe is just a suggestion.
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📖 Recipe
Curried Lentil Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils (dry lentils)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon curry
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped chopped
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
Avocado yogurt sauce
- 8 oz yogurt (or vegan yogurt)
- 1 avocado cut into squares
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- In a saucepan cook lentils in broth with onions and garlic until the lentil are softened and the liquid is absorbed.
- Place lentils in a food processor and allow them to come to room temperature. Add in curry, allspice, 2 Tbsp. of the chickpea flour, cilantro and carrot . Pulse multiple times until the mixture begins to form a thick chunky paste. If it is too chunky add in vegetable broth 1 Tbsp. at a time.
- Place lentil dough in bowl and put in the refrigerator for about one hour.
- To make the lentil burgers, measure out ¼ cup of the mixture. Make a ball in your hand and form a patty. You can use a little of the chickpea flour if the lentil dough is too sticky.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and lightly pan fry about 3 minutes on each side.
- To make the sauce:
- In a food processor place cut avocado, yogurt and chili powder. Blend until smooth.
- Drizzle over lentil burgers to serve.
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
Since we are big lentil fans here, I will have to try this! I tend to cook lentils the same way pretty much every time. I've never tried making burgers with them. Thanks for the inspiration!
Analida says
Sure thing Michelle! I hope you like them.
Kristen says
My kids and I love meatless burgers and lentils. Can't wait to give them a try!
Analida says
That is great Kristen. Let me know how you like them.
Bennie says
Veggie burgers have more than just a pleasant taste to offer, but they are also rich in nutrients, I love them.
Analida says
You are right Bennie. I love veggie burgers, and I am not even a vegetarian. The lentil burgers are among my favorite. Also check out my recipe for black bean burgers. 🙂