Beetroot burger

Made with grated beetroot and hearty brown lentils, this vegetarian burger is so good that you might never want to go back to regular burgers again!

Credit: Bondi Harvest

• makes

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Pro tip: Make the patties ahead of time and freeze them for speed and convenience.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) cooked brown lentils
• 325 g (11 oz) raw beetroot (beet), grated
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 6 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, cornmeal or almond meal
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra
• 6 slices peeled fresh pineapple
• 160 g (5½ oz/2 cups) shredded cabbage
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 260 g (9 oz/1 cup) natural yoghurt
• 6 brioche, sourdough or gluten-free buns

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and chilli until soft. Transfer to a plate and place into the fridge to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the lentils, cooled onion mixture, beetroot, egg, turmeric, garam masala, paprika and ginger until combined. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in the flour (or cornmeal or almond meal) one tbsp at a time, until the mixture is dry and firm enough to hold together. Shape mixture into 6 individual patties. 

Place onto a tray and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. Heat the extra olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the lentil patties and cook for 5–6 minutes each side, until caramelised and heated through.

Lay out all the remaining ingredients on a large chopping board with the warm patties and let people construct their own burgers. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Pro tip: Make the patties ahead of time and freeze them for speed and convenience.