Curried Lentil Veggie Burgers

These burgers are delicious, contain whole proteins and will make you re-think soy based veggie burgers. Make a big batch, store them in the freezer and cook them from frozen when you want a quick lunch or dinner. These are excellent!

(makes around 20-25 patties)
INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium onions (diced small)
• 2 cups dried green/brown lentils
• rolled oats, as needed
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 8 portabella mushrooms (diced small)
• 2 sticks celery (minced)
• ~10 jalapeno slices (diced small)
• soy sauce, to taste
• 3 vegetable stock cubes
• 4 heaped tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• a few shakes of chilli flakes

METHOD

1. Place lentils in a large saucepan with water about 1” above the lentils. Boil with lid on until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Add some olive oil to a large pot and sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and celery and sauté for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add more oil if needed.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock cubes, curry powder, cumin, jalapenos and chilli flakes. Mix well before adding the cooked lentils and mixing again. Add some soy sauce – 2 tbsp. or so – just enough to change the fragrance of the mixture. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to mix.
4. Remove from the heat. Add in some oats and mix them in well. Keep adding oats until the mixture becomes thicker – not too dry and not too moist – the oats will soak up more liquid as they cook. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes. If the mixture isn’t thick enough, add some more oats. It should just be able to hold itself together in a ball or patty.
5. Once cooled, prepare a baking sheet lined with wax paper (and extra sheets on hand). Take a small handful of mixture and form it into patties and place onto the lined baking sheet. Place a sheet of wax paper between each layer of patties. Placing two sheets of paper between layers helps prevent them from sticking together.
6. Place the patties in the freezer overnight. Next day, separate the patties and place them in a large freezer bag.