Lentil Burgers

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 4:27 am Post subject: Lentil Burgers

Anyone who has cooked often enough will either come across a recipe handed down, or come up with their own recipe with a measurement that says "until it looks/feels right".

My apologies for this not being as precise as it should be. Next time I'll take more careful measurements.

2 cups dried lentils (I used green), checked for non-lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups of water
1 large onion, diced
minced garlic (according to taste. I use a heaping teaspoon)
oil
4-5 eggs
1- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
salt
black pepper
dried oregano

In a pot, bring the lentils and water to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes until the lentils are mushy (depending on the final texture you like, cook less for more al dente and more for even mushier). Drain any remaining liquid.

In a frying pan, brown the onions in oil. When the onions turn translucent, add the minced garlic.

Mash the lentils (again, how long depends on the final texture you want. I like it chunky, so I left quite a few whole lentils). Add the onions, seasoning and almost 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Add 4 eggs and mix well.

You want it to be somewhat dry, but you want to make sure the eggs will bind everything well. Adjust the texture with the additional egg and/or breadcrumbs.

Let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Grease a cookie sheet with oil, make your patties and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Once cooked, they freeze and reheat (in the oven) quite nicely.

Feel free to play around with the recipe (adding sauteed green or red peppers, adding cumin or paprika, etc).
_________________

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 5:27 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

My kids would surely take one look and go eeeewwwwww. And that would be the end of that. Confused

I can't even get them to eat chopped meat in any form!
_________________
�All that is thought should not be said. All that is said should not be written. All that is written should not be published. All that is published should not be read.�
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 5:36 am Post subject:

My husband, oldest, youngest and I find them quite tastey.

My middle child doesn't like lentils in any form (not even when it's a mock meat enchilada casserole, smothered in cheddar cheese and salsa)...

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:09 am Post subject:

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:16 am Post subject:

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:17 am Post subject:

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:28 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

Thanks for the recipe. I used to make these a lot when my kids were younger and they were so good. Cheap and healthy meal, too. Now my kids are also at that "ewwww" stage and would never eat it.

DH and I loved to eat these on hamburger buns with all the "fixins"... lettuce, pickles, tomato slices, cheese, ketchup, mustard... yum!

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:34 am Post subject: Re: re: Lentil Burgers

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:44 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

Oh yeah, we love that "fake traif" stuff -

I make a mean "Bacon" Cheese Burger and "sausage" egg mcMuffin, too! Morningstar Farms makes great tasting veggie-burgers, "bacon" "sausage", "chicken" nuggets, etc... My versions are actually even healthy!

Can you tell we're BTs? Laughing

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 6:47 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

Oy Chossidmom, can I identify!
It also depends on the kids, mine are old, they are adults, and the last two girls are still yucky about certain brands of anything...no tara only tenuva mehadrin, only one kind of ketchup, only one kind of pasta (perfetto, NOT shefa) etc....

Fichs. I'm at the point of letting them pay for their own stuff..
But you aren't there yet.
If you coat the lentil burgers with ice cream they might eat them...
_________________
"Olam Chessed Yiboneh", Tehilim 89.

Posted: Thu, May 29 2008, 7:02 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

fuhgeddaboudit Rolling Eyes

Gold Member Joined: Mar 30 2008 Posts: 1423

roughly how many burgers does this recipe make? / how many people does it serve?
and what sort of size do you make them?

what temperature do you cook them on? do they brown?

thanks!

Posted: Thu, Feb 19 2009, 1:25 pm Post subject:

my kids wont touch lentils either. they r def at that fussy stage. it drives me mad I can make such a nice supper and they wont touch it all they want is baked potato and cheese

Posted: Thu, Feb 19 2009, 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: re: Lentil Burgers

Gold Member Joined: Mar 30 2008 Posts: 1423

thanks for the recipe. I made them and definitely plan to make them again. just one thing, they were a bit dry. any advice?

Posted: Sun, Feb 22 2009, 1:10 pm Post subject:

More egg, cook the lentils longer but for less time as a burger... if that makes sense.

Posted: Sun, Feb 22 2009, 1:12 pm Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

Maybe add a bit of ketchup to them before you cook?
Or try cooking them a drop less time?

Posted: Mon, May 25 2009, 9:46 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

I have a great sweet-and-sour meatball recipe, where you cook the meatballs in the sauce - do you think that would work with this? Anybody ever tried something like that with this "meat" recipe or a similar one?

Posted: Mon, May 25 2009, 10:06 am Post subject:

I would bake the balls and serve it with the sauce. I haven't tried cooking it in a sauce... I think it might make the lentils too mushy.

Posted: Mon, May 25 2009, 10:13 am Post subject: re: Lentil Burgers

okay thanks!