Mushroom Burgers

Portobello Mushroom are large and have a lot of meat. When grilled they turn juicy and flavorful so they make ideal candidates for burger pattis. We first made the mushroom burgers on the grill years ago when we lived in Arizona. I make these on lazy summer weekends when were are hanging out in the backyard by the pool. This is one of those meals that can be cooked on your grill and eaten outdoors.

I made the burger buns without eggs and with 100% whole wheat because I did not have a recipe for that combination on my blog. I have my foolproof sourdough burger buns and the regular burger buns. Any of the recipes would work perfectly with these mushroom patti.

You will need (for 4 burgers)
4 burger buns, eggless recipe here, other recipes available here and here
4 portobello mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. oil
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
slices tomatoes, as needed
lettuce, as needed
onion cut into rings, as needed
ketchup and mustard as needed

You can make the burger buns or use store bought buns.

The mushrooms cook very quickly so keep the other ingredients ready. Remove the stem from the mushroom. If you run the mushroom under water it will become rubbery. Using a moist towel wipe the mushroom clean. Place the mushroom top side down. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the underside of the mushroom. Sprinkle the oil. Fire up the grill or the broiler in your oven.

If using the grill place the mushrooms directly over the grill. If using the broiler place the mushroom on a baking sheet. It take about 2-5 minutes to cook the mushroom. Flip it over and give it another 2 minutes. Done.

Assemble the burger using all your favorite fixings.

Enjoy!




This is my entry for week three, day one of BM #52 for the theme Weekend Special Dinner. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Black Bean Burgers

Black beans, garbanzo beans and rolled oats form the base for this flavorful moist burger patti. Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. They are all thrown together in a mixing bowl. The burger buns are fresh out of the oven. I have included a link to the super easy recipe to make your own burger buns.

Black beans in my opinion are the best for burger pattis as they are so flavorful. This is my favorite black bean patti recipe.

Recipe adapted from here
For the patti (for four patti)
You will need
12 oz. beans (I used half black beans and half garbanzo)
3 tbsp. yellow onion, diced
3 tbsp. red bell pepper, diced
3 tbsp. black olives, diced
1 Serrano pepper, minced
4 oz. rolled oats
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. cilantro, minced
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. bread crumbs
salt and black pepper to taste

If using dried beans for the patti soak them overnight and pressure cook the next day. If using canned or a carton of beans skip this step.

Bake either sourdough buns or buns made with commercial yeast like the ones below. You will need four buns for this recipe. You could use store bought buns too.

To make the patti drain the beans and transfer to a bowl. Combine with all the other ingredients. Use your hands to crush the beans a little without turning them to mush. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for half an hour. Prepare a ramekin by placing a rectangular piece of plastic wrap in it such that it extends beyond the sides. Divide the patti mixture into four portions. Place one portion in the ramekin over the plastic wrap and press down.

Once the patti shape is formed pull the plastic wrap to release the patti. Continue to shape the remaining three portions. Place in a refrigerator to firm up until needed. Heat a griddle pan and add a few drops of oil on it. Place one or two patti on it and brown both sides flipping over just once. Repeat for the other two.

Prepare burgers with onions, tomatoes, lettuce and anything else you like.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Black Bean Burger

Black bean burger patti is in my opinion the best tasting vegetarian burger patti. It is also usually the only option for a vegetarian in a burger joint. It has evolved over the years as the demand for a vegetarian patti has increased. The earlier avatars of this patti tried hard to replicate the taste of their non-vegetarian counterparts making them close to unpalatable.

The best black bean patti I had was in California. I was on a business trip to the El Segundo business district, right next to LAX airport. I had to go out for a business lunch to a burger place. I do not remember the name but they served up the most delicious black bean burger. Since that trip I have tried to replicate the recipe at home many times.

You will need
1 large potato
1 1/2 cups dry black beans
1 small onion
1/2 red pepper
1 Serrano pepper
a handful cilantro
1 tbsp. coriander cumin powder
salt to taste
8 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. paprika (adjust to taste)

Soak the black beans overnight. Pressure cook the beans and the potato in a pressure cooker separately. Cook for 5 minutes with pressure on or 1 whistle. Turn off heat and let the pressure go down. Peel and mash the potato. Drain the water from the beans and mash half the beans.

Add the remaining beans and mash roughly. Do not overdo it. You do not want a paste.

Dice the onion, Serrano pepper and red pepper. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pan and add the onion and red pepper. Cook until tender. Add to the potato bean mixture.

Add the spices and salt to taste.

Form into 5 patti and place in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps the patti firm up and hold up to the browning process.

Heat a griddle pan and drizzle some olive in it. Place one or more patti on the hot pan. Let it brown before flipping over. Brown the other side and remove from heat. Repeat for all the patti.

Serve on a burger bun with lettuce/spinach, tomato. Or serve on a plate with salsa.

Enjoy!