[wasatchrunner]

I made some Lentil Burgers last night from a recipe in the "How It All Vegan" cookbook. They where really good but I had one problem. The patties don't stick together very well. Does anyone have suggestions on something I can add to the recipe to overcome this problem? The recipe is pretty simple here are the ingredients. I added some water and it seemed to help a little.<br><br><br><br>
Lentils<br><br>
Bread Crumbs<br><br>
Olive Oil<br><br>
Wheat Germ<br><br>
Onion<br><br>
Salt and Pepper

 

[karenlovessnow]

Perhaps some egg replacer or ground flax seed mixed with a little water, to act as a binding agent the way an egg would?

 

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Did you cook the lentils from scratch? Sometimes cooked from scratch (or from dry) the lentils turn out mealy and dry and so the recip neeeds moisture.<br><br><br><br>
If the lentils are too dry and adding water, tomato paste or soymilk helps.

 

[courgette]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>wasatchrunner</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I made some Lentil Burgers last night from a recipe in the "How It All Vegan" cookbook. They where really good but I had one problem. The patties don't stick together very well. Does anyone have suggestions on something I can add to the recipe to overcome this problem? The recipe is pretty simple here are the ingredients. I added some water and it seemed to help a little.<br><br><br><br>
Lentils<br><br>
Bread Crumbs<br><br>
Olive Oil<br><br>
Wheat Germ<br><br>
Onion<br><br>
Salt and Pepper</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
When I made a veggie "meat" loaf, I used cooked oatmeal as a binder...I worked pretty well. I like the idea metioned about using flax meal and some water (or V8, if you would like the added flavor)

 

[nigel]

Did you let the lentils sit a while before making the patties? Cooking them the night before can help (true for almost anything that you want to bind).

 

[Keelin]

I used oatmeal (specifically quick-cooking oatmeal with boiling water added to cook it) in the loaf I made recently, and that held things together pretty darn well. Cooked rice might work, as well.<br><br><br><br>
Also, did you mash the lentils a bit? In burger-shaped things I've made in the past, that made a world of difference. And both bake and fry them (fry 'em in an oven-safe pan, then bake or broil them right away).

 

[nigel]

good points. also - don't move them around until you have to. That breaks them up inside.

 

[wasatchrunner]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I was using lentils left over from another recipe so they did sit in the refrigerator for a couple days. Can't wait to try this recipe again with some of your suggestions.