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Give a healthy twist to your favourite burger
Packed with nutrition and fresh flavours, prepare a healthy burger without the guilt!
A burger with an extra slice of cheese and deep fried patty killing you with guilt? Now give a healthy spin and turn the comfort food into a wholesome meal. Packed with nutrition and fresh flavours, here are some smart tips and tweaks from chefs for you to prepare a healthy burger without the guilt.
“Healthy burgers will taste like punishment and diet food if they do not first scream with yummy flavours for the palate. They have to seduce and please mind, body and soul, all equally, thus, it is important to bring textures, flavour, colours, aromas, all into the recipe”, says chef Suvir Saran.
He recalls the days when Joyce Goldstein, a friend, an award-winning chef and author of more than 27 cookbooks introduced him to farro, a type of grain and how it has become a staple in his pantry ever since. He says, “Farro is now always in my pantry. I love using it to make patties for a veggie burgers. In addition to protein and heart-healthy fibre, the texture it contributes is incredibly hearty.” He also adds, “If you can’t find farro, you can make the burgers with quinoa or Freekeh or millet instead.”
One can also add potatoes, mushrooms and parmesan cheese to add a depth flavour to the patty. Saran suggests, “If you want to indulge in these on a more regular basis, replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes instead. For those that are watching their intake in regards to diabetes or metabolic syndrome, the use of panko in the recipe can be substituted with crushed peanuts or even ground lentil flour.”
Moving on to a healthier bun to go with a wholesome patty, chef Vinay Trilokiya, Farzi Cafe, Aerocity says, “It can be a pleasurable experience if different grains in it’s base are paired with the right ingredients along with appropriate cheese and a variety of vibrant vegetables.” Trilokiya also feels that made just responsibly, these can be your go-to meals with the right balance between protein, carbohydrates, fibre and flavour.
He recommends, “As a chef, I would suggest using multigrain flour, ragi flour, whole wheat flour for making burger buns. In order to break the myth and bring the healthier side, try adding grilled or boiled bodies to the burger, such as boiled or grilled chicken, fish, meat, or one can try making patties of the same, and then bake in oven, and there you get the healthy meal.”
For those looking to skip mayonnaise and tomato ketchup for the burger sauce, replace it with home-made tzatziki, guacamole and hummus for added texture and flavours. For the toppings, either put fresh vegetables or grill them. One could also opt for a single bun instead of two buns to make an open burger and avoid the extra calories.
Farro and mushroom burgers by chef Suvir Saran
Ingredients: 3/4 cup/125 gm farro, 500 gm red potatoes (about 3), 6 tablespoons/90 gm natural vegetable oil, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 500 gm brown mushroom caps, finely chopped,1 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 5 to 8 tablespoons/75 to 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 3 finely chopped shallots,1 tablespoon/15 ml dry white wine, dry vermouth, or water, 1/2 cup/50 gm finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 cup/50 g panko breadcrumbs
Method: Bring 2 1/4 cups/540 ml of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the farro, return to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff the farro with a fork, cover and set aside. While the farro cooks, boil the potatoes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the potatoes, return the water to a boil, and cook until a paring knife easily slips into the centre of the largest potato, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Once the potatoes are cool, peel them and place them in a large bowl. Remove the needles and leaves from the rosemary and thyme branches and place them in a large skillet along with the butter and black pepper. Melt the butter over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Once the herbs start cracking, after about 1 1/2 minutes, add the mushrooms and salt. Cook the mushrooms until they release their liquid and the pan is dry again, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the potatoes and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook until they are soft and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the wine (or Vermouth or water) and stir to work in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and scrape the shallots into the bowl with the mushrooms and potatoes. Add the Parmesan along with the farro. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the ingredients together.
For the mixture into 10 patties. Place the panko in a shallow dish and press the top and bottom of each patty into the panko to evenly coat. Heat 1/4 cup/60 ml of olive oil in a clean large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 5 patties and cook on each side until nicely browned and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove the patties from the skillet and place them on a plate. Repeat with the remaining patties, adding more oil between batches if necessary. Serve hot.
Grilled chicken burger with Ragi Bao by chef Vinay Trilokiya, Farzi Cafe, Aerocity
Ingredients for Ragi Bao: 150gm refined flour, 40gm ragi flour, 4gm yeast, 1gm salt, 4gm sugar, 5gm melted butter and 25ml milk
Method: Mix all dry items together. Add milk and melted butter. Mix it to make a dough. Steam it for 10 minutes. Bake for 2 minutes at 160 degree Celsius.
Ingredients for burger: 80gm grilled chicken breast, 15ml mayonnaise (or burger sauce of your choice), 15 gms arugula leaves, 10m gherkins, 3-4 tomato slices, 25gm red cheddar cheese
Method: Marinate the chicken breast with olive oil, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, chopped thyme then grill. Dressed the arugula with olive oil ,salt, pepper, lemon juice. Cut the Ragi Bao into half horizontally. And toast it with butter. Spread mayonnaise on both the sides. Put dressed arugula at the base. The put grilled chicken breast slice. Place grill tomatoes slice over chicken. Topped it with red cheddar cheese and melt the cheese. Close the burger.
Interact with author/sanchita_kalra.
