[SwissMiss]

I recently made the 'Quinoa Burgers' from Vegan Diner. The are SO delicious! My omni 13year old brother is hooked!

But, I have a problem. I find it hard to make the patties stick together well, especially after dipping them in the flour. I find them very prone to getting tears and breaking.

I made them 2x so far and the second time they were already better. They didn't break while I cooked them, but they broke while we were eating them

Any ideas of what I could add to the mixture to make it stick better?

thanx

 

[IamJen]

What sort of wet ingredients are in the recipe already? Tomato paste is what I use in lentil burger, but mashed potatoes, applesauce, all sorts of this work well. You have to have something to "glue" it with.

 

[Hazelnut]

Vital wheat gluten.

Depending on how many patties you're making, add a few tablespoons of wheat gluten and add a little more water. Work the patty mix around for a bit until little bity strings begin to form.

This asts as a binder, and also adds a little chewiness. It doesn't alter the flavor either.

 

[SwissMiss]

this is the recipe

1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
12 oz chickpeas, (about 1 1/2 cups canned and drained, or homemade)
1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp of poultry seasoning or favorite spice blend
1 tsp of smoked paprika
2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino or soy sauce
2 Tbsp of chickpea flour
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
additional chickpea flour for dusting the burgers
olive oil for cooking
Burger buns
Lettuce or greens
sliced tomato and onion for serving

oh I wonder if the apple sauce would work? how much would I need to add?

 

[Hazelnut]

If you want to use applesauce, try about a 1/4 cup... or one of those apple sauce cups.
Add an extra Tbsp or two of the chickpea four to make up for the added moisture.
Applesauce also seems to lengthen the cooking time for some items.

Tip: Because of the way proteins work, you tend to get a better bind the more you work the "dough" with your hands. Fold it over into itself for about 5-10 minutes. When your arms are ready to break off, then its ready.

 

[reneeannem]

I've had the most success with mashed pumpkin or butternut squash in the past, at least when it comes to veggieburgers. I generally use about 1/4 cup or so.

 

[IamJen]

Ooh, mashed pumpkin would taste awesome! Are you mashing the chickpeas? That might help too?

 

[Photojess]

Attachment 15286

you need to press them together firmly. I've made them twice too, and you don't need to add anything else to them. BUT, you need to press them firmly, and then shape and push in the sides so they aren't raggidy. Really, it's all you need to do. This is a great recipe the way it is.

 

[SwissMiss]

I thought that I could press them a little more. The 2nd time I did and they didn't break in the pan which is good.

I might know why they broke when we ate them tho, maybe I didn't let them cool enough before serving them? Is that possible?

 

[Photojess]

I don't think so, the first time I pan fried like the recipe, the second time I grilled them on aluminum foil, without spraying the foil. (Should have!) but even with that, they didn't fall apart, but I lost a little film of burger that was still attached to the foil when I flipped them. I seriously love this recipe.

 

[SwissMiss]

this recipe is soooo delish!

I am making it again this week because my omni cousin now wants to try them too!

I just wonder why they broke...

 

[Photojess]

if the second ones didn't, I'd say they just weren't shaped enough on the first. My hubby likes them too. Just so you know, if you make 6 like the recipe calls for, each one is about 500 calories alone! I ran it through a recipe nutrional calculator, and it has a TON of fiber and protien, but thought you might want to know. I made 8 the next time, and it took it down to around 350-ish. which I was happier about. I don't eat them on buns because of that, so I add them to salads. After that, my hubby said, "I just ate two of them....." well he got lots of fiber that day!

In my pic on the other page, I made a creamy lemon dill sauce which is really good on them. It's on my blog if interested. i like them with bbq sauce too.

 

[SwissMiss]

Wow! Not really the most dietetic food hu?!

I guess it is still better than my guys getting a BigMac or something. At least they are covered in terms of fiber.

They like it with buns and lettuce and tomatoes. But I might drop the buns at this point

Thanx for the info.

I love the pictures you made of it btw. One of the reasons I tried it

 

[Photojess]

oh thanks! it really is a great recipe....I think because of the quinoa and the chickpeas just bumps up the calories. That or just save some calories for that meal

Try grilling it on a sprayed foil piece though....saves the calories from frying. Also, those calories I mentioned did not include frying.