I was thrilled to find purple sweet potatoes at Namdhari’s Fresh, the other day. Burgers with sweet potato patties had long been on the cards, so that is exactly what I used them in. I made some Indian-style burgers, and the spices balanced the sweetness of the sweet potatoes perfectly. The end result was super delish, and went on to become a huge hit with everyone at home. In today’s post, I’m going to share with you all the recipe for these burgers.
A closer look at my Indian-style burger
I would say these burgers are midway between a healthy meal and a sinful indulgence. I used regular store-bought burger buns because that’s what I could find. The patty is made from scratch and is cooked on a pan, definitely way better than the deep-fried versions we usually encounter in burgers. Most of the accompaniments to the burger are home-made and healthy, a few aren’t. The tomato ketchup I have used here, for instance, is home-made, while the mayonnaise is store-bought.
In the ‘Tips & Tricks’ section below, I have suggested healthier alternatives for the various ingredients used in the burger – do go through it.
How I made these burgers with sweet potato patty
Here is how I made them. This is a fairly simple recipe, with not too many complications involved.
Ingredients (makes 6 burgers):
For the patties:
- 1 medium-sized purple sweet potato
- A small piece of cabbage
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels
- 1/2 of a small yellow capsicum
- 1/2 of a small red capsicum
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Red chilli powder to taste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons bread crumbs or as needed
- A few teaspoons of oil, as needed to pan-fry the patties
For the pickled onions:
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 2 pinches of salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Other ingredients:
- 6 burger buns
- 1 medium-sized ‘seedless’ cucumber
- 1 medium-sized tomato
- Lettuce leaves, as needed
- Pickled red paprika slices, as needed
- Tomato ketchup, as needed
- Tandoori mayonnaise, as needed
Method:
1. Wash the sweet potato thoroughly, to remove any dirt from it. Cut into large pieces and place in a wide vessel. Add in enough water to cover the sweet potato completely.
2. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker and put the whistle on. Allow 3 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
3. In the meantime, we will pickle the onion. Peel the onion and chop length-wise. Add in 2 pinches of salt and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well. Let this sit undisturbed till it is time to assemble the burgers. This will help the flavours to meld together.
4. We will now chop the vegetables required for the patties. Peel the carrot and chop finely. Chop the cabbage, red capsicum and yellow capsicum finely too. Measure out the sweet corn kernels. Take all these veggies in a wide vessel, and place in a pressure cooker. Keep some water in the bottom of the pressure cooker, but do not add any to the veggies. Pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally.
5. When the pressure from the cooker has completely gone down, get the cooked sweet potato out. Drain out all the water and reserve for later use. Let the sweet potato cool down enough to handle. Similarly, get the cooked vegetables out too, and let them cool down fully.
6. When the sweet potato has completely cooled down, peel the pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash well.
7. To the mashed sweet potato, add salt and red chilli powder to taste, garam masala and turmeric powder.
8. Add in the cooked vegetables too.
9. Add the bread crumbs to the mixing bowl too. Mix everything thoroughly until well combined. You should get a mixture that is not sticky, which you are able to shape into patties.
10. Now, drizzle some oil on a grill pan, then get it nice and hot. Shape 3-4 patties out of the sweet potato mixture and place on the pan. Turn the flame down to medium. Drizzle some oil around the patties. Cook the patties on both sides for about 2 minutes or till they get slightly crisp. Remove them onto a plate. Prepare all the patties in a similar manner.
11. While the patties cook, we will get the accompaniments for the burger ready. Chop the cucumber and tomato into thin rounds. Keep the red paprika handy.
12. When you are ready to serve the burgers, slice each bun into half. Toast the buns and re-heat the patties on a hot pan.
13. Then place a couple of lettuce leaves on the bottom part of the bun. Place one patty on top of this. Place some of the pickled onions and chopped cucumber and tomato on the patty. Drizzle tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. Keep a few red paprika slices over this. Now close the bun and hold it together using a toothpick. Serve the Indian Style Burger immediately. Assemble all the burgers in the same way, and serve hot.
Tips & Tricks
1. Chana masala can be used in the patties instead of the garam masala you have used here. I have used home-made garam masala.
2. I have used capsicum in two different colours, in the patties. If you don’t have coloured capsicum, you can use the regular green one instead.
3. In the patties, I have used purple sweet potato (which are high in anthocyanins and various other nutrients) that I picked up at Namdhari’s Fresh. You can use regular sweet potato instead, too. I’m guessing beetroot would work as a good substitute here, as well.
4. Good-quality, crisp lettuce works wonders for a burger. I got mine from Orinko Farms.
5. You can steam the vegetables instead of pressure cooking them as I have done here. Remember that the vegetables should not be overcooked – they should retain a bit of a crunch.
6. I have used regular store-bought burger buns here. You may use whole wheat buns to make the burgers healthier.
7. To make the bread crumbs, I simply pulsed a couple of slices of bread in a mixer. You can use store-bought bread crumbs instead, too.
8. Adjust the quantity of bread crumbs as per need. Use enough to bind the cooked sweet potatoes and the vegetables to a non-sticky texture that you can form patties out of.
9. I have pan-fried the patties in a grill pan, so they had a slightly crisp exterior and a soft interior. They worked just perfectly for us. However, if you want crispier patties, you may coat them with bread crumbs and deep-fry them.
10. Instead of the bread crumbs I have used here, you may use roasted gram flour (besan) or corn flour for binding the patties.
11. I have used Tandoori Mayonnaise from Del Monte, here. Instead, you could use a mix of hung curd + home-made red chilli sauce to make it healthier.
12. I have used home-made tomato ketchup here.
13. I have used store-bought pickled red paprika slices here. You can use pickled jalapeno slices instead, too. You may avoid these when making the burgers for small kids.
14. Do not discard the water the sweet potato was cooked in. It is full of nutrients. You can reserve this water and use it in soups, gravies and the likes.
15. You can keep the patties and other accompaniments ready in advance. You can heat up the patties and assemble the burgers just before serving.
16. I have not used any cheese in these burgers, but you may, if you prefer.
Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!
The World Through My Eyes 
Hello
Yr burger patty seems to be mouth watering, yummy and appetising too..
But you are saying purple sweet potato which seems to me beetroot. Sweet potato is shakarkand..which inside is like potato.
Thanks
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@Savita Soni
Thank you!
I have used purple-coloured sweet potato or shakarkandi here, as I have mentioned in my post, and not beetroot.
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