Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Veggie Masala Burgers

Picnic season is here, perfect mini masala burgers ….they are tiny, delicious and easy to put together. Vegetable cutlet layered with spiced up paneer and a vegan option too ….yumminess !





Picnics… eating outdoors..  warm summer afternoons or preferably…starry summer nights. Gazing into the sky….walking bearfoot on dewy grass…picking flowers… !! I could live that life everyday of the year. And yes the ice cream trucks…. !! Ohhhh it's just a perfect picture of a perfect day. Come to think of it,  real pleasures of life don't need  much...it's often the small things that do not cost much, that gives us the most pleasure. To experience a sunset in silence, to wake up to birds chirruping…

I read a beautiful quote that a friend sent me.... I love to walk, but this is a different kind of walking.

Walking is great for you ....

walk away from arguments that lead nowhere but anger,
walk away from people who put you down,
walk away from anything that reduces your worth,
walk away from fears that stiffle your dreams,
walk away from people who don't mean well.

Take a step towards happiness.

I have put this on my vision board.... We don't realize how vulerable we are to negativity, till we walk away.  As adults we feel we are insulated to deal with a lot, not really. Life is too short to deal with drama. Except if you are chasing the dramatic light with your camera ...

It's strange once you walk away from negativity,  your door opens and floods with positivity. I think the strength lies in the self, we just don't see it, till we make room for it.


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Veggie Masala Burgers (recipe) 

If only I can style a burger like professional stylists…I just don't have the patience. Burger styling is an art I don't posses lol!  But imagine…bitting into that juicy thing… !! 


Ingredients


For the vegetable cutlet
  • 5-6 medium  potatoes boiled with skin removed
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 inch ginger grated
  • 1-2 pods garlic grated
  • few cilantro leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp red chili flakes
  • salt to taste
  • 4-5 tbsp bread crumbs
  • 5 tbsp oil 
For paneer slices 
  • 10 slices of paneer cut from a block of panner
  • 1 tbsp kasmiri chili powder (more color less spice) 
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt to taste 
  • 4 tbsp oil 
Pickled beets, carrots and onion 
  • 1 medium
  • 2 medium carrots 
  • 2 small beets 
  • 3/4 cup rice viniger
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • salt to taste
Other 
  • 10 mini burger buns
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes sliced thin deseeded
  • 4-5 tbsp butter
  • 5-6 tbsp mint chutney - recipe here 
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder


For the vegetable cutlet

Mash the potatoes. Finely chop onions. Mix all the ingradients and make tiny balls for your mini burgers. Makes about 10 

In a pan add 5 tbsp oil and shallow fry the cutlets till golden brown on both sides. Place over a napkin and remove excess oil.


For paneer slices 

In a ziplock marinate the panner for 2-3 hours with the spices, oil and lemon juice.  On low flame roast it a bit, I do not like mine crisp and golden, I prefer it to me moist and soft - it's your choice.


Pickled beets, carrots and onion 

With a spiral cutter or with a knife finely cut beets, carrots and onion. Mix with viniger, sugar salt - it needs 2 hrs to marrinate. Keep refrigerated in air tight jar, if  you have leftovers, good for a week. 


To assemble the burgers

Slice mini  burger buns into half, if  not already sliced. Wash and slice the tomatoes and keep 10-12 lettuce leaf - I used curly lettuce, you can use any.

Toast the burger with butter and spice ( red chili and cumin powder). Keep aside. 

Take the bottom part of the burger, smear the chutney, add lettuce, tomatoes, paneer slice, veggie cutlet and top it with drained beet-onion pickle ( else burger will be soggy) . The onions would have turned the color of beet. 

Serve with chips, fries and your favorite beer or lemonade.

I assemble my burger to picnic spot but add the pickled onion-beet just before serving. 

Takes 2 hours to marinate,  1.5 hour to make 
serves 5 ( 2 each).

Vegan option : substitute firm tofu with paneer. 







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11 comments:

  1. Your styling of burger is still impeccable. To each, their own. And I love the bit about walking towards positivity. Needed to hear that today :)

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  2. Awesome Simi! Stunning pics with beautiful styling! Loved it!

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  3. Simi,
    First pat on your back; it's an extremely pretty post. I understand and know how hard is to shoot at sunlight, but you've done it. I love your summery outdoor feel photography, and I have copied that style in the past (which you know already). Your post is just tempting me to shoot outdoor - maybe I will gain enough courage to photograph one day in this summer.

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  4. Love, love, love your dish, especially the addition of that spiced paneer layer. Would be trying it out soon, bound to be a hit at our home.

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  5. If any one can shoot gorgeous photos outdoors, it's got to be YOU! Gorgeous colors and I am loving the summer picnic mood in the photo <3

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  6. So beautiful! I can only gawk at your pictures... gives a total picnic feel... the recipe is also amazing...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Φύση,αισιοδοξία και όμορφες προτάσεις σαν τη δική σας όπως και οι καταπληκτικές φώτο είναι το μυστικό για μια καλύτερη ζωή!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Soyfrano :

      Ευχαριστω παρα πολυ!

      Delete
  8. Veggie burger looks delicious. A photography question, do you use reflectors and/or bouncers even when you shoot outdoors, in your yard? Trying to envision how your setup.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Usha,

      Most times I don't use reflectors when shooting outdoors. Sometimes I do use it. In this case I have not.

      Delete
  9. This really a beautiful post! Each picture is so beautiful Simi :) and the recipe sounds great especially the paneer!

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to browse. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. Hope you enjoy your stay :))

hugs!
simi

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