Welcome back, Phoodies! So we have all been there…that moment when you stop and think, “Hey…I’m fat. How’d that happen?” Then suddenly, your life is thrown into chaos as you realize you have completely forgotten how to eat healthily. You experiment with cauliflower to detrimental results, and your relationship is pushed to the edge because of drastically increased flatulence.

Well FEAR NOT, The Phoody is here to help!

We had this realization ourselves recently, and decided to create some amazing food that would satisfy our fatty cravings. Today’s entrée is a fantastic alternative to that juicy burger you have been craving. Now before you decide that a black bean burger would be a weak alternative, HEAR ME OUT! We are some of the biggest carnivores on the planet. But this burger is good enough to make you seriously consider becoming Hindu.

For this burger, we decided to turn to a Punjabi spice palate, because where else but India does vegetarianism have true swagger. Depending on what you put on these, they average anywhere from 250-500 calories/burger, and you don’t have to worry about the saturated fat, carcinogens, or free radicals in beef.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Approximately 8 burgers

Ingredients:

• 3 cans black beans
• 1 T. minced garlic
• ¼ cup finely grated red onion
• 2 large carrots grated
• 1 large egg
• Finely chopped bell peppers (optional…you could also use hot peppers of any variety)
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. cumin
• ¼ t. turmeric
• ½ t. paprika
• ½ t. salt
• 2 T. Walnut or Coconut oil for cooking
• Condiments, Buns, and cheese.

 

1) Open and drain your black beans in a colander. Rinse well and let sit for a minute to dry.

2) Place drained beans in a large mixing bowl, and mash using a potato masher, or a fork.

3) Add the garlic, onion, carrots, egg, cilantro, and all the spices to the beans and mix well until they begin to form a paste.

4) Add bread crumbs slowly while mixing by hand until you have a good consistency for making patties.

5) Form patties and place on wax paper. You don’t have to make the centers thinner. Since this isn’t beef, it won’t bubble.

6) If you want to make it easier on yourself, I would suggest freezing/refrigerating the patties overnight. However, you can make them fresh…it’s just a little stickier of a process.

7) In a non-stick or cast iron skillet, add your oil and heat up to medium heat.

8) Place patty into hot oil and allow to brown on both sides.

9) Once patties have been browed, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet…we used foil and it was…difficult.

10) Add cheese if desired, and bake the patties at 350°F for about 15 minutes. You can also try grilling them if you want that char broiled flavor. Just note these are a little more fragile than your usual burger at this stage, and they may fall apart more easily.

11) Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. If you serve them while they are too hot, they will fall apart. The longer they cool, the more firm they become, and you get a more burger-like consistency.

12) Serve with your favorite side and condiments. We loaded ours with sautéed mushrooms and onions and it was incredible.

13) Yes, those are sweet potato fries…GAH get off my back MOM!

ENJOY!

– The Phoody