As barbecue season is upon us I've been thinking about alternatives to the usual vegetarian sausages and burgers that usually grace my plate. Trying to find interesting veggie foods suitable for a grill can be tricky, but over the course of the next few posts I'll share with you some of my favourite go tos for a barbecue that anyone can enjoy. Whether you are vegetarian, catering for a plant-based friend or simply looking for something different to try I have you covered.
Carrot Kofte
These beauties are veggie burgers that are a far cry from the mashed-potato-with-chopped-vegetables-mixed-in burgers of my childhood. You can change up the spice blend and add garam masala or tandoori spice to give an Indian twist, or add lemongrass, coconut and chilli for a south east Asian take. These can easily be made vegan with the replacement of the egg with ground chia seeds, or adapted around any root veg that you have going spare.
Enough for 4 burgers or 6 kofte
Ingredients:
600g large carrots
2½ tbsp olive oil
50g dried breadcrumbs
1 large garlic clove, crushed
25g coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 egg
To serve:
4 buns, if making burgers, otherwise serve as you please, perhaps with a couscous salad and a dollop of tzatziki.
Method:
Grate the carrots - if, like me, you do this by hand you may need to either grate the carrots in batches, or rope in a willing assistant, as otherwise you may have a slightly achy arm after grating this much carrot, so if you have one, please feel free to use a food processor! Once grated, add the carrot to a saucepan with a little oil (around 1 tablespoon) and gently fry for 5 minutes to soften the carrot. It should lighten and brighten a little during the cooking process.
Leave the carrots to cool slightly in a bowl, then stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic, coriander and ground spices. I like to use a pestle and mortar to smash the garlic with the coriander and spices and a little salt, then to mix that fragrant paste with the carrots. Mix in the egg then, with clean hands, shape into your desired shape. You can make 4 full-sized burger patties, 12 sliders or 8 koftes. When shaping the patties make sure to firmly squash the mixture together to make sure that there aren't any air bubbles inside. The patties are best left to rest and firm up in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime pre-heat your oven to 190°c (gas mark 5), or get your BBQ up to temperature. If you are going for the grill option it would be best to make the burgers slightly larger so that they do not fall through the gaps.
When you're ready to cook, space the patties out on a lined baking tray and brush with a little oil (if baking in the oven). Bake at until turning golden, turning around two-thirds of the way through. This will take about 20 minutes for sliders and kofte, and 25 minutes for burgers. If you are using a barbecue lightly oil each burger and carefully place onto the grill, be careful when you turn the burgers half-way through cooking - I'd recommend using a fish slice and a fork to carefully flip each one over. While the burgers are cooking prepare your sides, you can toast buns in the oven for the last 3 minutes of cooking time, prepare some herby couscous or throw together a salad. I think they pair really well with tzatziki as a cool and refreshing contrast to the warm and spiced carroty bites.
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