Quinoa and sweet potato burger with horseradish sour cream, shallots and chives
MAKES: 6 burgers: Ingredients 600g sweet potatoes (3 medium sweet potatoes) 2 eggs
100g (scant 1 cup) chickpea flour
1 tsp chilli powder, preferably piment d’Espelette
1 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp walnut butter or other nut butter
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of sea salt
200g (1 cup) boiled quinoa Rapeseed or peanut oil for frying HORSERADISH SOUR CREAM: 3 tbsp finely grated fresh horseradish 300g (1¼ cups) sour cream Sea salt TO SERVE: 6 burger buns Butter for the buns Finely sliced red Asian shallots Finely chopped fresh chives Method Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the sweet potatoes into an oven-proof dish and bake them in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes or until they are soft all the way through. Split the potatoes lengthways and scoop out the insides with a spoon.
Lightly whisk the eggs in a food processor using a knife blade. Add the sweet potatoes, chickpea flour, chilli powder, mustard, nut butter, lemon juice and salt, and pulse-blend until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer to a bowl and add the quinoa. Turn the mixture with a spoon so that everything is well blended.
Take a handful of mixture at a time and shape into 6 round patties, either by hand or using a food ring.
Put the patties on a plate and cover with cling film. Put in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably longer, so that the patties will hold together better when you fry them. Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix the horseradish and sour cream in a bowl. Add salt to taste and put to one side.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Fry both sides of the patties for a few minutes over a medium heat, until they have developed a little colour and a nice surface.
Transfer to an oven-proof dish and bake them in the middle of the oven for 5–10 minutes.
Butter the buns on the cut surface and fry them quickly in a frying pan or grill them in the oven.
Put a patty at the bottom of each bun, splash on some horseradish sour cream and top with shallots and chives.
This is an edited extract from Green Burgers by Martin Nordin, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $29.99.