Covid Cooking Recipes: Cajun Curry Roast Pumpkin and Pulse Burgers

Stay healthy. Stay happy. Eat burgers.

I was craving burgers while in self-isolation and while I’m normally a pretty big carnivore it seemed like a great opportunity to try something new and clean out the pantry a bit. If you notice any atypical ingredients that was out of necessity. The goal was to make the best burger with what I had without running to the store. I dug deep into the freezer as well. It all ended up pretty tasty.

This recipe made me eight large burgers enough to share with a few neighbours that are self-isolating. Consider this a rough guide the amounts are all approximate. Modify to taste. Corn nibblets might be a nice addition.

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas rinsed
1 can black beans rinsed
1 small pumpkin/squash (green skin, yellow inside) seeded and skinned
3 packets instant oatmeal (plain) or 3/4 cup other quick oats
½ cup olive oil (for roasting veg)
1 small leek cubed
½ white onion cubed
½ tbsp yellow curry powder
½ tbs cajun spice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tbsp bacon grease (if handy)
1 dash cayenne
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
1 splash fish sauce
Salt and pepper
One beer for chef

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while seeding and peeling pumpkin.
Cut pumpkin into 1 inch slices.
Toss pumpkin slices in a large bowl with a splash of olive oil, curry powder, and cajun spice.
Place on baking pan and roast.
After 10 minute toss onions and leeks in oil and add to baking pan.
Season everything in the pan with salt and pepper and roast until tender but not browned.
Add warm ingredients to all other ingredients in a large bowl or food processor.
Mash / pulse until the consistency of beef burger, add water, stock (additional) or beer if dry. Have a sip of beer if dry.
Form into thin patties and fry in oil in pan over medium-high heat to brown both sides heavily while heating throughout.
Serve with your fave burger toppings, pickles highly recommended.