Delicious TV - Totally Vegetarian : Episode 7: Veggy Planet : Didi's Kasha-Crunch Burger

Didi's Kasha-Crunch Burger

This burger is a favorite. Your main mission is to panfry the burgers until a thick crust forms. This is where non-stick pans fall short. They just don't have the capacity to form a thick crust. Any heavy-bottomed seasoned skillet will work. My pan of choice to create the perfect texture is cast iron.

I like this burger bun-less and with a small dollop of a good hot sauce such as Real Inner Beauty Hot Sauce. Another excellent way to eat these is to make small meatball-size burgers and serve them on top of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Or for a satisfying brunch dish, make one rather large and flat panfried burger for each person and sit a poached egg on top of it.

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. short or long-grain brown rice
2 t. kosher salt (more or less, to taste)
1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms (button, crimini, Portobello)
1 c. kasha (whole buckwheat groats)
1 c. chopped toasted cashews (or walnuts or hazelnuts or other nuts)
3-4 T. chopped fresh tarragon (or parsley)
Flour for dredging the burgers
Vegetable oil for frying

To prepare:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

2. Add the rice, salt, mushrooms, and 5 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in the kasha and cook until the rice and kasha are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about another 20 minutes more.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts and fresh herb. Transfer the mixture to a food processor in three batches, pulse until coarsely or finely chopped. The mixture can be left "whole," as another option. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and cover it if you aren't forming the burgers right away.

4. Dust your hands with flour, and form the mixture firmly into large patties. Lightly coat the patties with flour. The flour is what creates the crust!

5. Heat a generous amount of oil (about 1/8- to 1/4-inch depth) in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Panfry the burgers until the undersides are dark golden brown, about 5 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning. Flip the burgers, and brown the other side in the same manner.

Note: These burgers can be formed into patties, separated by wax or parchment paper and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, up to 2 months, burgers can be frozen. It is best to individually package burgers in plastic wrap before freezing. Frozen burgers must be defrosted completely before cooking.

I find that defrosting them in their wrapper in the microwave for two minutes makes the burger easy to handle and able to keep it's beautiful rounded shape. The added bonus is that it is already warm inside, therefore it cooks and browns much faster. Microwaving also gives you the flexibility to cook up a burger at a moments notice!