Multi-grain Burger Bun and Black Bean Tofu Patty

 

As a child, I would have never thought in my dreams that I would grow up and do any kind of baking. It was that science which would be better left untouched. I remember my mother used to bake simple no-frill cakes on special occasions and she used to literally force me to help her. I cant tell you how much I hated being helper to my mom in the kitchen especially while baking.Those days we didn’t have any hand mixer or blender at our house to mix the batter and we had to mix it with a simple spatula. That was a very hard job to do as my mom use to make cake with malai(If interested in malai you can read more here wiki) and mixing it in a smooth mixture was a tedious thing to do. I use to run away as soon as mom would start baking. Such was the fright!  And now I am here trying to bake my own breads and buns. I am surprised with the transformation since now I am trying to bake so many different things. There is always something to learn and I am certainly proud that I am ready to experiment or try new things. The fresh smell of baked goodies motivates me to try various things.

Coming back to the recipe I wanted to bake a burger bun since long. This multi grain burger bun and tofu patty makes a complete hearty and healthy meal. These buns are fresh and many  times better than the store bought buns as it is healthier due to use of multi grain flour and less sweeter. They taste so delicious that you can eat as-is without any patty or other toppings. Once you bake at home you will never look back to the store bought ‘unhealthy’ buns. The patty I made contains black bean and tofu which is not only healthy but also very yummy. You can enjoy the buns with any patty of your choice

Ingredients :-

For Whole Wheat/Multigrain  Buns :-

Whole Wheat/Multigrain Flour	1.5 Cups
All purpose flour	1.5 cups
Baking Soda	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon
Active yeast	1 1/2 teaspoon
Warm water	1.5 cups
Sugar	2 teaspoon
Olive/Vegetable Oil	3 tablespoon

For Black Bean and Tofu Patties :-

Black Beans, boiled and drained	1 Cup
Extra Firm Tofu	1 block
Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum, finely chopped	1/4 Cup
Onion, finely chopped	1/4 cup
Garlic Powder	1 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder	1 teaspoon
Bread Crumbs	1/4 Cup
Salt	to Taste
Oil, For frying	As needed

For Assembling the Burger :-

Multigrain Buns	8
Onion, Cut into roumdels	1 medium
Tomatoes, Cut into roundel	2 medium
Tomato Ketchup	As required
Mayonnaise	As required
Cheese Slices	As required
Avocado Slices	As required

 

Method :-

For Whole Wheat/Multigrain  Buns :-

• Warm the water in microwave. It should be lukewarm.
• Take half cup of water in a bowl and add sugar and yeast to it. Mix it well and keep it aside until it starts frothing. It will take about 10 minutes.
• In another big bowl take wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda and salt and mix it until well combined.
• Add olive oil, yeast mixture to it and knead it well. In between you can add some warm water if the mixture seems dry.Make a smooth and soft dough.
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover it with dampen tissue paper or kitchen towel in a warm place for about 1 and half hour. By that time dough should have risen to double size. If not keep it for half an hour more.
• Punch the risen dough with your hands and knead it for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts depending on how big you want.Shape them into smooth balls. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and brush it with olive oil.
• Place the balls into greased tray  equal distance and keep them in warm place so that they can rise again in double size. This method is proofing. Don’t forget to cover the dough balls with dampen towel.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree fahrenhite/ 180 degree Celsius  and bake the buns for about 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• Take it out and keep the tray on wire rack. At first the buns will seem hard but they will turn soft as soon as they cool down. Enjoy it with your favorite patties or just like that.They taste so good on own.

For Black Bean and Tofu Patties :-

• If using raw black beans soak them for about 2-3 hour and blanch them or cook in pressure cooker for 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. When hot add chopped onion and green bell pepper. Saute it for about 2 minutes and take it out in a bowl and let it cool.
• Add half of the tofu and boiled beans in food processor and process it for a coarse mixture.
• In the bowl which you put sauteed vegetables add the tofu and black bean mixture. Also crumble the remaining tofu and add it in this mixture.
• Add the garlic powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder and salt to the mixture and combine it well. Refrigerate it for about half an hour.
• Take out the mixture from freeze when you are ready to make patties. Add bread crumbs to the mixture. Divide the mixture in equal parts and shape them into patties
• In a griddle add about 1 tablespoon of oil and place the patties into it when oil is hot.
• Cook evenly on both sides and keep it aside

For Arranging the Burger :-

• In the same pan in which you made patties add the onion roundels with some dash of salt and drizzle of oil and cook for 1 minute.
• Cut the burger buns horizontally into half and toast them on the griddle.
• In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise and tomato ketchup to form homogeneous mixture.
• Put mayonnaise ketchup mixture in both part of toasted buns. Add tomato roundels and put a pinch of salt and peppercorns.
• Place the patty on top of it and then add avocado slices. On top add the sauteed onion roundels and place the other half of toasted bun on top.
• If you want to add cheese slices place it on top of patties. I didn’t want the cheese so I skipped it.

Notes :-

• Proofing is very important for the buns. Proofing means the final rise of dough before baking. So don’t skip it.
• You can even brush the buns with melted butter to get shiny crust.
• You can use canned beans instead of fresh if you are running out of time.
• If patty doesn’t hold the shape you can roll them in bread crumbs before grilling.

 

 

Soya Burger

Burger! It’s mostly termed as a junk and unhealthy food but it can be as healthy as any food depending on the condiments and ingredients you pick and choose. A homemade burger, or for that matter any dish, can be tailor-made depending on individual choices. Like for example if you want to skip mayonnaise you can add homemade guacamole (instead of store bought since I like it fresh) which is not only healthy and natural but delicious too. I have attempted to make the burger as healthy and yummy as possible that you will probably not miss the burger from your favorite joint. Am I exaggerating? Nope, cause it tastes damn delicious and is full of healthy & nutritious ingredients which will make you forget all the guilt you have of burger. It’s free of trans fat, chemical & preservatives which you get in frozen burger patties. Here I have not used any cheese or mayonnaise, but of course if you are making this for kid you can’t omit cheese as its good for them. The key ingredient of this dish is soy granules which is made from soy beans and is protein rich. The Soy beans assist in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Besides the popular Tofu (Bean Curd), Soybeans are consumed in direct and indirect way in Indian and Asian cuisine. In most Indian grocery stores in the USA, you will be able to find Soy sauce, Soy nuggets, Soy granules, etc. So what are you waiting for. Do try this and let me know how you find it.

Ingredients :-

Soy granules	1 cup
Burger buns	4
Oil	4 teaspoons
Salt	to taste
Onion	3 medium
Green Chilies, Chopped	2
Tomato Ketchup	6 tablespoons
Mustard Paste	2 tablespoons
Cilantro, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Potatoes, Boiled and grated	2 medium
Fresh whole wheat bread crumbs	1/2 cup
Red Chili Powder	1 teaspoon
Tomatoes, Sliced	2 medium

Method :-

• Roast the Soy granules for 4-5 minutes on medium heat until lightly roasted. Allow it to cool.
• Soak the granules in sufficient water for 10 minutes. Squeeze the water out and put it in a bowl. Keep it aside.
• Chop one onion and cut other two into roundels.
• Heat two teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and green chilies and saute.
• Add soy granules, two tablespoons of tomato ketchup, one tablespoon of mustard paste, salt, chopped cilantro and continue sauteing till dry.
• Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Keep aside to cool it slightly. Add boiled and grated potatoes, bread crumbs and mix properly. Divide the mixture into four equal proportions.
• Take one portion of the mixture and shape it into patties. Roll it into some more breadcrumbs and keep aside. Similarly make rest of 3 patties.
• Heat little oil on a griddle pan. Place the patties on the pan and cook it both sides until golden brown.
• Separate onion roundels into rings. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan and saute the rings until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
• Cut the burger buns. Heat a tawa/griddle and roast the burger buns. Apply the remaining tomato ketchup to the burger bases, place some tomatoes roundel, caramelized onion rings over it and then place the patties over it.
• I didn’t have lettuce so I sauteed some broccoli florets with garlic in one teaspoon of olive oil and placed it in top of patties. These broccoli are also side dish for burgers.
• Similarly prepare rest of the buns. Apply mustard paste to the top half of the burger bun and place over it.
• Secure with a toothpick and serve hot.

Notes :-

• Amount of chilies depend on your taste so you can increase or decrease accordingly.
• Here I have used sauteed broccoli as side but if you want to go traditional but healthy way you can make baked potato wedges.
• To make the burger even more healthier you can use one parboiled grated carrot to the mixture.