Turkey Burger

There was this new fancy “American” burger place that just opened up in town. It was quite a drive away from my college but everyone in college was raving about it. Not just the people who got to try it but also the ones who never even stepped inside the place. We were a group of 5 close friends who had to try every new place in town. So we were kinda set back by the fact the we had not eaten at this new fancy “American” place yet. That needed to be changed so we set sail!

For the first time we had to stand in line for an hour and half before we got to get inside. If that had happened today, I’d be bummed by the wait but somehow, at the time, a long wait meant something exciting! I mean the place gotta be awesome if people are standing outside for hours just to get in, right? We finally got in and I remember thinking, “this is cool!”. Large room covered in shades of red, green and yellow beaming from techno lights. The place was stuffed with people, mostly standing and Pearl Jam and Nirvana were filling the air. All of us ordered whatever sounded interesting to us. I ordered a BBQ Chicken Burger. That burger blew my mind and the rest of the gang seemed blown away too. The place soon became our favorite hang out place.
That was when I had my first “American” burger. Its another thing that after moving to the US and eating a real “American” BBQ chicken burger, I realized that that burger was definitely not American. And I am pretty sure they had sneaked in some Garam Masala and coriander in there too! But still, that burger holds a special place.

So today, while making a burger for you, I thought I’ll sneak some “Indian” in there too! With a healthy turkey burger patty (being loyal to my favorite burger place, I sneaked in some coriander seeds), I made a cooling cumin and mint yogurt sauce with a punch from cloves. I loved how just a little bit of cloves just fill your mouth here. Try the recipe and let me know what you think!

Ingredients: Makes 4 medium burgers

For Burger Patty:
1/2 lbs turkey (ground)
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (coarsely crushed)
1/2 cup sun dried tomato (chopped)
Salt to taste

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup hung yogurt (you can also use greek yogurt)
1 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional)
8-10 mint leaves
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves powder

Also need:
4 medium burger rolls
Greens- Any choice of lettuce, baby spinach, arugula or clover sprouts
Sliced heirloom tomatoes
Sliced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoon Olive oil for brushing

Method:
Burger Patties:
Bring ingredients of burger patty together in a bowl. Mix well using spatula or hand. Divide into 4 equal parts.
Take one part in hand. Using both hands roll into a ball. Press between palms to make a flat 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick patties. Pop in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high.
Lightly grease the grill pan. Cook patties both sides until done, about 3 minutes.

Yogurt Sauce:
Pound mint leaves in mortar and pestle.
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside for later.

Assembly:
Brush the cut sides of rolls with oil. Place on hot grill. Lightly toast for 30 seconds.
Spread bottom roll half with yogurt sauce followed by burger patty then some some more sauce if wanted. Place tomato, onion and greens topped by the top roll half.
Serve with a side of chips, spicy sweet potato fries or coleslaw.
Oh, and do not forget that bottle of chilled beer to enjoy a summer meal!

Food Styling by Prerna Singh
Photography by Abhishek Singh