Rajma, an Indian kidney bean curry, is a hands-down favorite. Create flavorful veggie burgers with rajma and top with the produce of summer.
By Chitra Agrawal
Indian kidney bean curry, is one of my favorite dishes. It’s one of the unsung heroes of North Indian cuisine, often overshadowed by the chickpea in chana masala. I’d like to advocate for it and hope that you think about the kidney bean next time you grab for a can or bag of chickpeas!
This weekend, when my friend Aparna suggested making a rajma veggie burger at her barbecue, I jumped at the chance. And it being summer and all, I topped it off with a corn relish made with dill pickles, fresh parsley and lemon. The sweet and sour of the corn relish really worked well with the rajma burger and salty feta. The relish came out so well, we were eating it straight from the bowl.
- 1½ cups rajma curry (pick up mostly beans)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup toasted bread crumbs, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup cooked rice – optional if you’re burger is not solidifying
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 corn cob, boiled & kernels shaved off with knife
- ¼ cup of Farmer’s Garden Dill Chips, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- couple squeezes of fresh lemon juice
- mixed greens
- tomatoes, sliced
- red onions, sliced thin
- feta, sliced
- ketchup
- mayo
- mustard
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- In a mixing bowl, mash the beans with a fork. Fold in the eggs, parsley, Parmesan, mustard, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fold in the bread crumbs, adding more if the mixture is too loose. Can also mix in rice at this point if you need. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the crumbs to soak up some moisture. Adjust seasonings. Shape into 4-6 patties.
- In an oven-safe skillet or non-stick saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook until browned on each side, 6 – 10 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the burgers are firm and cooked through.
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Toast buns on skillet, grill or in oven. Smear you buns with your choice of condiments (i.e. ketchup, mayo, mustard, Brooklyn Delhi roasted garlic achaar:), layer on mixed greens, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, your burger, feta and corn relish. Enjoy!