Kidney Bean Burger Recipe

This is the simplest kidney bean burger you’ll ever try! This is an American-style burger with traditional Indian spices. Indian spiced kidney bean & sweet potato patty is topped with delicious, creamy yogurt sauce and sauteed onion, bell pepper. This is the keeper recipe, try it yourself and see!

Ingredients for Kidney Bean Burger

For burger patty:
¾ cup Rajma (Red kidney beans) (dry beans)
1 medium or 1 cup Sweet potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon Oil
1 cup Onion chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger minced or grated
1 Green chili chopped finely
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
½ cup Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped finely
2 teaspoon Lemon juice or Lime juice
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs more or less
For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup Plain yogurt thick (or use greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon Hot sauce

For topping:
2 teaspoons Oil
½ of large Onion sliced thickly
½ of large Capsicum (Green bell pepper) sliced thickly
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

For burger:
3-4 tablespoons Oil for shallow frying patties
6-8 Burger buns

Method to Make Kidney Bean Burger

Wash the red kidney beans under cold running water until the water runs clear, or rinse them until the water is longer cloudy.
Soak them in enough water – for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. Or go for a quick soaking method: Take kidney beans and water (at least 2 inches above the beans) in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil on medium heat. Once it starts boiling, close up the stove, cover it and let it sit for 1 hour.

Drain the soaking water. Add 2 fresh cups of water and cook the beans. 1 whistle on high heat, then lower the warmth and cook for 10 minutes.

Drain the cooked beans completely. Make sure to get rid of all the water and the beans are as dry as possible. Mash them with a fork or potato masher.

Also, boil the sweet potato. I have cooked both beans and sweet potato at the same time in the instant pot. Alternatively, you can oven roast the sweet potato slices. Peel and mash the sweet potato. Measure it to 1 cup and keep it aside.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add chopped onions, green chilies, and minced ginger. Sprinkle a touch salt to hurry up the method.

Stir and cook until the onion becomes soft and lightweight pink.

Now add spices (turmeric powder, red flavorer, and garam masala).

Mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Then turn off the stove. Let the mixture cool down slightly.

Take mashed kidney beans and sweet potatoes in a bowl.

Add cooked onion mixture, cilantro, lime juice, and remaining salt.

Mix and use your judgment on how much breadcrumbs to add. I have added ½ cup.

Mix everything well. The mixture should come together like a dough ball. It should not be too soft or too sticky.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions to get a really thick patty or 8 portions for medium thickness patty.

Use your hand to give a round shape. Also, seal the sides and make sure there are no cracks.

Heat a generous amount of oil during a cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat.

Once golden brown and slightly crisp from rock bottom, flip and cook another side.

It is vital to cook them on medium-low heat to make sure the even browning without burning and crust. This is not the meat patty that you have to worry about over-cooking and drying the texture. Take your time and make it perfect.

you can choose any other sauce of your choice. For the topping, you can go for classic onion, tomato, lettuce, avocado. But here I have sauteed the thick slices of onion, peppers in little oil and seasoned with salt and mixed Italian dried herbs.