Kidney Bean Burger Recipe

Thank you U.S. Dry Bean Council for sponsoring this post.” Join me to celebrate World Pulses Day with U.S. Beans!”! When it comes to the burger, I only like it in certain places. Many of them are dry and flavorless. Oh one more thing, I never buy those frozen patties. I like to keep myself and my family away from processed, ready-made food as much as I can. So most of the time I prefer to make it at home.  And you know me, I like my Indian flavors and so I have made them fusion. But of course, they are not overly spiced. It has a subtle flavor of spices. Plus, it is healthy because it is made with all healthy ingredients which are full of nutrients and have less fat compared to meat burgers. Being vegetarian, I include all kinds of pulses into my diet because beans and lentils are a really good source of protein. And beans give the burger a meaty texture. This time I am using red kidney beans and sharing this Bean Burger recipe to celebrate World Pulses Day which is on February 10th. Per the US Dry Bean Council, beans are not only protein-rich, but beans are digested slowly, which helps to maintain blood sugar levels, increases your energy level, and even helps prevent certain cancers. And if you didn’t know, the U.S. is the global leader in quality, dry bean production thanks to its state-of-the-art harvesting equipment, handling practices and production processes.  Looking for more ways to include beans – check out the US Dry Beans Council and visit the whole collection of bean recipes on the blog.  Indian Style Kidney Bean Burger  Vegetarian burgers have a bad reputation for being bland and dry. Flavorless patties, lack of seasoning, dry and not-so-exciting toppings. But wait, NOT here at Spice Up The Curry! These Indian Style Kidney Bean Burgers are loaded with flavors from cilantro, onion, ginger, and garam masala. Shallow fried on a cast-iron skillet till golden, slightly crispy on outside and moist, juicy from inside. 

Ingredients to Make Tasty Kidney Bean Burgers

Here are the ingredients you will need for ‘not-dry’ bean patties. As shown in the photos + you’ll need panko breadcrumbs to soak up excess moisture. Just a few notes on some of the ingredients:

Cilantro – a very good amount of herb is used to add really good fresh flavors. I know many don’t like the taste of cilantro. In that case, you can use parsley.Sweet potato (boiled, mashed) acts as a binding agent so patty will not fall apart while shaping and cooking. You can use a regular potato as well.Breadcrumbs – you will need more or less than the mentioned quantity. It purely depends on how much moisture is present in your sweet potato and cooked beans. Add, mix, and see if you can form the patty. If needed, add more.

How to make Kidney Bean Burger Patty?

Wash, Soak, Cook, and Mash: 

1. Wash the red kidney beans under cold running water until the water runs clear, or rinse them until the water is longer cloudy. Soak them in enough water – for at least 8 hours or overnight. Or go for a quick soaking method: Take kidney beans and water (at least 2 inches above the beans) in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil on medium heat. Once it starts boiling, turn off the stove, cover it and let it sit for 1 hour.
2. Drain the soaking water. Add 2 fresh cups of water and cook the beans. Instant pot: Pressure cook (manual) high pressure 8-10 minutes.Stove-top: simmer for 30-40 minutes. You may need more water.Stove-top pressure cooker: 1 whistle on high heat, then lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the cooked beans completely. Make sure to get rid of all the water and the beans are as dried as possible. Mash them with a fork or potato masher.
4. Also, boil the sweet potato. I have cooked both beans and sweet potato at the same time in the instant pot. Alternatively, you can oven roast the sweet potato slices. Peel and mash the sweet potato. Measure it to 1 cup and keep it aside. Cooking onion, spice mixture:
5. Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add chopped onions, green chilies, and minced ginger. Sprinkle a little salt to speed up the process.
6. Stir and cook until the  onion becomes soft and light pink.
7. Now add spices (turmeric powder, red chili powder, and garam masala).
8. Mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Then turn off the stove. Let the mixture cool down slightly. Making patty mixture for the burger:
9. Take mashed kidney beans and sweet potatoes in a bowl.
10. Add cooked onion mixture, cilantro, lime juice, and remaining salt.
11. Mix and use your judgment on how much breadcrumbs to add. I have added ½ cup.
12. Mix everything well. The mixture should come together like a dough ball. It should not be too soft or too sticky. Shaping and cooking kidney bean burger patty:
13. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions to get a really thick patty (as seen in the pics) or 8 portions for medium thickness patty. 
14. Use your hand to give a round shape. Also, seal the sides and make sure there are no cracks.
15. Heat a generous amount of oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat. TIP: Please use a good amount of oil. These are a vegetarian burger, so they need more oil, unlike the meat burger patty which already has fat in them.
16. Once golden brown and slightly crisp from the bottom, flip and cook another side. Nice golden crust: It is very important to cook them on medium-low heat to ensure the even browning without burning and crust. This is not the meat patty that you have to worry about over-cooking and drying the texture. Take your time and make it perfect. Sauce and topping: Here I have made the yogurt sauce. It is very simple, mix thick yogurt (or greek yogurt) with hot sauce. You will have the creamy, thick, spicy sauce ready. This goes well with the slight sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Of course, you can choose any other sauce of your choice. For the topping, you can go for classic onion, tomato, lettuce, avocado. But here I have sauteed the thick slices of onion, peppers in little oil and seasoned with salt and mixed Italian dried herbs. Check out other burger recipes.Green peas burger (with paneer)Aloo tikki burger