Red Lentil Burger Patties

Ingredients

For the Patties

• 360ml (1½ cups) red lentils
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 20g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 360ml (1½ cups) avocado oil, for frying

For the Za’atar-Tahini Sauce

• 80g (⅓ cup) tahini
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp za’atar
• Water, to thin

To Serve

• Burger buns
• Microgreens
• Sliced pickles
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Make the Patties

1. Soak the red lentils in water for 2–3 hours. To quick-soak, cover them with about 3 cups of just-boiled water and let stand for about 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
2. Add the drained lentils to a food processor along with the garlic, onion, carrots, cilantro, salt, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Blend for about 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, then blend for another 30 seconds.
3. Scoop about ⅓ cup of the mixture at a time and shape into patties. Refrigerate the shaped patties for a few minutes to firm up.
4. Add the avocado oil to a frying pan and heat over just under medium heat for a few minutes. The oil is ready when a bamboo chopstick dipped in produces fast-moving bubbles.
5. Carefully lower in the first batch of patties. Fry for 3–4 minutes, then carefully turn them over and cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining patties.

Make the Sauce

6. Combine the tahini, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and za’atar. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little water; if too thin, add a little more tahini.

Assemble

7. Toast the burger buns. Assemble each burger with microgreens, a lentil patty, sliced red onion, a spoonful of the sauce, and pickles.

Source: Wil Yeung, Yeung Man Cooking