Indian-Style Veggie Burgers 

A Meliks' Original © Recipe

The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to customize - you can add or remove almost any of the veggies however you prefer. I like to put lots of pepper in mine to give them an extra kick. I also normally double the recipe and toss the extra burgers in the freezer, they are great for a quick weeknight dinner!

Serving size: 4 burgers or 12 sliders

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) can black beans, drained and dried
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 eggs
2 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cumin powder
1-2 tbsp hot pepper sauce, or chilli sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs

Note: this recipe is most successful if you remove as much moisture as possible from the black beans, red pepper, and white onion before you combine them. If you use a food processor to chop the pepper and onions, putting them through a fine strainer can help remove unwanted moisture.

Directions:

1. If grilling, preheat your grill to high heat and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and lightly oil a baking sheet, or line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mash your black beans with a fork or potato masher, until the mixture is thick. 
3. Add your red pepper, onion, corn, cilantro and garlic, and mix well.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, chilli powder, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.
5. Add the egg mixture to the bean and veggie mixture. Stir together until combined. Add the breadcrumbs and mix together until the mixture is thick and sticky. Add extra egg and/or breadcrumbs as desired.
6. Shape your mixture into patties as desired. If grilling, place the patties on the oiled foil sheet and cook for 8-10 minutes on each side. If baking, bake in the oven on the oiled baking sheet for the same amount of time. When baking, I like to fry the burgers in a small amount of oil for about 3 minutes on each side after baking - gives them a bit of crunch and some extra flavour!

Now your burgers are ready to serve! Dress them up however you like. My preferred method is to eat them without a bun, topped with tomato and avocado. Tastes great served with a fresh green salad and some homemade french fries. For the Super Bowl, I served them topped with a slice of tomato, and some homemade corn and barley relish (see the picture above).