Sweet Potato Veggie Burger – with beans, spinach and wild rice

1. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork all over the surface, this allows steam to escape.
2. If cooking in an oven (or OTG), wrap the sweet potato in an aluminum foil (Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture) and place on a lined baking sheet in a preheated oven to 400 F. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until flesh is tender. Turn the potatoes over halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking on all sides. Allow potatoes to cool a few minutes before slicing.
3. If microwaving, place on a microwave-safe dish and heat on high 8-10 minutes. Turn potatoes bottom side up halfway through cooking to ensure even heating. Allow potatoes to cool a few minutes before slicing.
4. You may also use a pressure cooker to boil the sweet potatoes.
5. Once the sweet potato is ready, dice it using a knife and then mash it. Also, we can use a grater with large holes to grate the sweet potato.

• Cut the onions, spinach, and jalapenos as suggested in the ingredients section
• Grind the prepared wild rice coarsely in a food processer ( we want to see the broken grains but not a paste – roughly the size of groats)
• Microwave the pinto beans for 2 minutes and mash them into a rough purée using a masher.

1. Heat cooking oil in a skillet on medium heat for a couple of minutes
2. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir until the raw smell of the paste disappears
3. Now add the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions start to turn light brown.
4. Turn the heat to low. Add all the spice powders (Onion powder, Garlic powder, Cayenne pepper / red chili powder, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Cumin powder), Black pepper powder, and salt.
5. Stir until the spices mix well with the onions.
6. Now add spinach and jalapenos. Stir for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.

1. Take a large mixing bowl and add the following :
   • Grated sweet potato
   • Breadcrumbs
   • Pinto beans
   • Onion-spinach-spice mixture
2. Using your hands, mix all these into a uniform paste. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and spice levels. Now our patty mix is ready.
3. Divide the patty mix into 4 or 5 equal parts. Take one part in the palm and roll it into a ball and then flatten it to form a patty shape.
4. Coat each patty on both sides with breadcrumbs.
5. Keep all the patties ready for frying.

1. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, slowly place one patty.
2. Increase the heat to medium level and let the patty fry for 3-4 minutes. When you start to see browning on the sides, flip the patty.
3. Do not turn the patty frequently. Let the patty fry on the other side also for about 3-4 minutes.
4. Use a flat spatula for flipping and be careful so as not to break the patty. Unlike meat patties, this patty has very little stickiness and hence can break easily.
5. When the patty is fried, we should see golden brown color on both sides.
6. Place a cheese slice on the top of the patty and let it melt.
7. Remove the patty from heat.

• Hot and sweet Mayo sauce: Mix the mayo, hot sauce and ketchup in a bowl
• Separate the halves of the hamburger buns and toast them on each side. Lay the halves on a plate with the inside facing up.
• Spread a thin layer of hot and sweet Mayo sauce on both halves.
• Stack the bottom part of the bun in the following order from bottom to top: Lettuce, Patty with cheese, spread a thin layer of mustard sauce, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, and finally the top part of the bun.

Enjoy the sweet potato burger with a side of potato chips or French fries and pickles.