Homemade curried veggie burgers are just… the best.
Featured comment
I made these today and they were amazing! I had them with mango and homemade tzatziki sauce. Thank you for sharing!
Radha
Think: lightly spiced lentil-chickpea-carrot-brown-rice-cashew-curried patties, soft and textured with a lightly browned outside, brushed with olive oil and smothered in fresh, juicy mango and a handful of good ol’ cilantro.
As much as I dislike the word “patties”, there is no denying. That right there is what’s up. L-O-V-E.
A few months ago I got a really heartfelt email from one of my readers. It was one of those times where you read an email from someone and you feel like you know them because they make a joke about themselves on the second line of the email that makes you laugh out loud. It’s like they just reached out and passed you a peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookie you through your speckly, smudged, kid-fingerprinted screen and now you’re best friends and you’re craving more cookies.
This particular email-er so much mentioned that she had a great veggie burger recipe for me. I felt really special and veggie-burger inspired. Then three months passed, and the recipe was still sitting in my inbox, and my screen was still speckled and kid-fingerprinted. I love you kiddos and pleasepleaseplease stop touching my screen. Me? Type A? Nah.
Better late than never, friends. Better.late.than.never.
This is called re-falling in love with veggie burgers. They were even more gorgeous and delicious than I was expecting. Moist and textured and packed with the most nutty, spicy, perfect flavors. And now I have fourteen – as in 14 – that’s one four – of them in my fridge, so that looks like a veggie burger for lunch and dinner for something like, oh, the next SEVEN DAYS. I might get sick of them. Not! I could eat these forever and they would never get boring.
Ways I have been enjoying them:
- Raw. That sounds bad, but I did it, and how do mashed beans taste so good? Wowz.
- On a burger bun, with fresh mango and cilantro and yogurt.
- Smashed up on a tortilla, with fresh mango and basil. *favorite*
- On a focaccia bun, with traditional burger toppings. And by traditional burger toppings, I mean melted cheese and ketchup. It didn’t even go together. I ate it and loved it.
- Wrapped in a pita.
- Crumbled on a salad. Maybe?
- Smashed and dipped with chips.
- Specifically, pita chips.
- Drizzled with plain yogurt.
- Mango chutney.
- Basil.
- Fresh cucumber slices.
- Tzatziki.
- Olive oil.
#5-14 are just dreams that have yet to come true. But I still have a million and one left, so that leaves plenty of time for veggie burger experimenting.
A huge thank you to awesome Amber for inspiring this recipe, and to all of you kind and caring readers who take the time to be my friend via email. I like you guys.
And I like it when we all make veggie burgers.
Curried Veggie Burgers
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
Description
These curried veggie burgers are the best veggie burgers I’ve ever made! Including carrots, lentils, chickpeas, and yummy spices. Healthy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 (28 ounce) can lentils, rinsed and drained, or 3 1/2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 heaping cup cashews
- 3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
- 2 yellow onions, minced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- up to 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Combine the rinsed beans in a large mixing bowl. Begin cooking the rice.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Toast the cashews in the dry pan until golden brown; process in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs form. Add to the mixing bowl.
- Heat the oil in the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes over low heat, until soft and fragrant. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until soft, adding more oil if necessary. Add the vegetables to the mixing bowl.
- Mix in the spices with everything already in the mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until a doughy consistency forms. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth if needed to keep the mixture moving. I like to keep some texture to the mixture.
- Stir in the panko crumbs and form into patties. See notes for different ways to cook them!
Notes
1. Bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; flip and bake another 15 minutes, or until burgers reach your desired brownness and texture. These will be more firm.
2. Brush with olive oil and fry in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, flipping after a few minutes. These will be really soft but still have a browned, crispy exterior.
3. Bake as directed, and then fry as directed, so you get the firmness from the baking and the golden brown from the frying.
I did all three ways and the bake+fry combo was my favorite!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: curried veggie burgers, veggie burgers, chickpea veggie burgers
Dear veggie burger skeptics, your time has come.
i love love love homemade veggie burgers Lindsay! I don’t make them nearly enough. maybe a couple times a YEAR. That has to change. And this is exaclty how I’m going to make that change – start with this recipe. I’m not a vegetarian but I love all your meat free options. 🙂 Love the cashews in these too – I gotta try it. hope all is well!
Thanks Sally! If I lived alone I think I’d do vegetarian recipes almost all the time, with the exception of pork! I love pork. And yes – the cashews were so perfect in there! Especially toasted. Yummm. Thanks for the nice comment!
I’ve made these several times and they’re really tasty but they always take more time than expected. I think there are some flaws in the recipe: vegetable broth should be a listed ingredient since it is always too dry without it. I’m not big on salt but this needs more. Onions shouldn’t be minced, just chopped or diced. Mincing them separates the juice which evaporates during the saute. Forget about using a blender – there’s not enough surface area on the blades to mix this properly.
I made these and boy it makes a lot. Can you freeze these after cooking or can you before cooking? Thanks.
Hi Anne! We’d recommend freezing after cooking.
The mango & cilantro totally won me over. Not a fan of the word “patties” either 😉
I love veggie burgers too which is something I never expected given how much I love meat-filled burgers but they’re so adaptable and tasty. Definitely going to give these a try!
These looks delicious. I agree that making your own veggie or turkey burgers is the best. You can control exactly what you put in them and mix it up with spices and other toppings. I pinned this for later–can’t wait to try it out.
Sa-HOLD.
I have a curry FANATIC in this house, so these are happening. I love the mango, I love topping a cool salad with a warm … um … patty 😉
can’t wait!
Ooh, I adore homemade veggie burgers and am always looking for new creative ways to make one. I love the addition of mango and cilantro! The basil is probably heavenly as well. And curry? Anything with curry is a winner in my book!
Yum. So jealous of your gorgeous mangoes! I never would have thought to top a veggie burger with those, but they look perfect.
The mangoes lately have been INSANELY good! I wish I could pass you a bite of one through the screen. Possibly the most perfect fruit I’ve ever eaten.
These are so beautiful! I would totally go for these raw too! 🙂
I am with you on love of homemade veggie burgers. A fridge full of them sounds like its going to be a good week. Yum!!
I am such a huge fan of veggie burgers and curry – but together?! YES!
What a great compromise…burgers for me (my favorite) and non-meat for my wife (veggie eater)! I think I am going to have to make these this weekend…too bad my bbq is a mess :S Dang seattle dampness…
Way to go, Amber! I love emails like that. In fact, I love all emails from every reader. They’re just so fabulous.
You’re right, these patties/burgers are so versatile. I’ve made lentil patties before, but they weren’t nearly as beautiful as yours. In fact, they were downright ugly. Will definitely be trying this one out!
Yum!! I have got to try this. Ways To Enjoy #1&3 sound especially intriguing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nice! I always get thrown off by condiment choices on veggie burgers…ketchup just doesn’t feel right. But mango, yogurt, and cilantro? Yes.
I know. And it was Filipino ketchup nonetheless, which is extra sweet. It didn’t work at all but somehow I still ate it and liked it. You’re better off with the mango combo, for sure! 🙂
These veggie burgers sound so good! The recipe even has me thinking that it may finally be time to get a food processor…or I may just invest a lot of time with my immersion blender. 🙂
We love homemade veggie burgers and I love your list of ways to eat them. Add this to the list: quesadilla! It’s become our favorite! These look amazing!
Aw yes! That sounds amazing.
These sound a lot like falafel burgers…or patties, but with some zing added with the variants.
You’re in the Philippines, though–I’d love to see you do more Filipino items. When I move to the Philippines, hopefully in three years or so, I hope to have my foodblog (with your able advice) up and running, and have something of a hook that will be enticing enough to draw folks in–maybe something that will transcend location.
Wow! These look incredible! I am always looking for ways to use curry and this sounds like the perfect recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are a psychic Lindsay, we are in our 2nd week of burgery-loving marathon for lunch(homemade, of coz), and now more than your gorgeous vegge burger, I’m hooked on the focaccia buns..are they homemade? and if they are, do you mind sharing the recipe? They look so perfect.
Haaaahaha, no. Definitely store-bought. I am not a very good bread baker but someday I’ll learn and make some homemade ones! These look really nice if you’re looking for a recipe! https://talentadongchef.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/herbed-focaccia-rolls/
you are a sweetie, thank you for the link Lindsay! Btw phillipines is so nearby, let’s do some bread baking together.
Those are happening, tomorrow. YUM.
Your pictures make me drool! You have a real gift. I love anything with mangoes and cilantro 🙂
Wow, thanks Liz!
Anything with mango and cilantro…you got my attention. You’re pictures are absolutely gorgeous and your mangos make me jealous. Thanks for all the great recipes, this one definitely goes in the “to make” pile.
Thank you Ellie!
I dream of my next trip to the USA to have Trader Joes Masala Veggie Burgers.
These look very similar, so will have to try them. Thanks for the awsome recipe
These looks gorgeous! Nothing beats a good veggie burger, especially in a freshly baked bun, delicious!