I developed this recipe accidentally. Once, I had plenty leftovers for Quinoa Veggie Pilaf from the previous night, and neither of us felt like having Pilaf again. My kids were in the mood for 'burgers'.
So, I took the leftover Pilaf, which had potatoes and peas, mashed the potatoes well, added some shredded cheese (for binding) and chopped cilantro, formed them into tight ½-inch thick patties, dusted them with all-purpose flour, and pan-fried them till they were crispy brown.
I have to tell you, that this is the tastiest leftover-hack I have ever done, if I may say so myself.
Serving Suggestions for these Homemade Vegetarian Burger Patties
Tasty Veggie Burger Variations for Kids
This a very kid-friendly recipe, that is Mom & Dad-approved! Kids love burgers! The amount of nutrition that you can sneak in to these patties, is a work of a genius. Quinoa and cheese add a good amount of protein and the veggies give the "green balance" to these patties. I keep switching the veggies in this easy veggie burger recipe and add chopped spinach, frozen corn, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, so you can easily customize this recipe to your preferences. I even add a couple of tablespoons of Almond meal in it sometimes. It helps in binding and boosts the protein content. Pro-Tip: If you're adding more than one freshly grated vegetable, you may want to add 1 tbsp. of cornflour, or 1 egg, so that the patties bind easily.
How to Cook Quinoa on the Stovetop
In a saucepan, follow step 1 & 2, but don't add peas yet. Add ½ cup quinoa with 1 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes in the pan. Garnish with cilantro and lime. Serve warm. (Adjust the cooking time based on the package directions for your brand.) Follow the remaining instructions as-is.Step-by-Step Instructions for Cooking the Quinoa Veggie Burger Patties
Here's how you make them:
Saute ingredients, add spices |
Add water |
Pressure Cook for 2 mins |
Fluff quinoa |
Add lemon & cilantro |
Cool mix, add cheese and form patties |
More Quinoa Favorites from my Kitchen
- Quinoa Poha
- Indian Quinoa Vegetable Biryani
- Minestrone Soup with Quinoa
- Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
- Mexican Quinoa
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Veggie Burger Patties | Quinoa Veggie Tikki
Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, this is a delicious vegetarian twist to the classic hamburger: Quinoa Veggie Burger! This recipe has instant pot and stove pot variations for cooking the quinoa and uses potatoes and peas with onions and Indian spices for a tasty burger patty.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa rinsed in a mesh sieve
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated or chopped fine (or ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder)
- 1 small onion chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
- 2 medium gold potato cubed into ¼ inch pieces (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 green chilies optional
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup water
For Patties (add after cooking)
- 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ½ lime juiced
- ½ cup shredded cheese of your choice
Coating (optional)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or Panko Bread Crumbs or Cornmeal: skip for gluten-free
Pan-Frying
- 2 tablespoons oil for pan-frying. 2-4 tablespoon per batch
Sriracha Mayo (mix everything together)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot chili sauce adjust quantity to your taste- start with 1 tbsp, or use ketchup instead
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper crushed
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Slice onion, peel and cube potatoes, grate or finely chop ginger. Rinse the quinoa in a mesh sieve, it removes the bitter coating on the quinoa beads. Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté. When it's hot, add oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start sizzling, add grated ginger, onions, green chili and cubed potatoes. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add all dry spices, frozen peas, quinoa and water. Stir well. Close lid. Set valve to 'Sealing' mode. Cook on MANUAL (High) for 2 minutes. Wait for 10 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR 10), and then manually release all pressure. Open lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice.
- Cool the mixture for 5-10 minutes. You can even make this a day-ahead. Using a fork, mash all the potatoes and add the shredded cheese. Mix everything together. Wet your palms with water, this prevents the patties from sticking to your hands. Using an ice-cream scoop, measure out a scoop and form it into a patty, using your hands. Lightly roll the patty in your choice of coating. Shake off the excess coating. Form all patties and keep aside.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. (It doesn't take a lot of oil to get these crisp). Add patties such that the pan is not over-crowded. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Flip them after 2 minutes or after they golden brown on one side, add a few more table spoon of oil if needed. Crisp them on the other side and you're done.
Stovetop Method for Quinoa
- In a sauce pan, follow step 1 & 2, but don’t add peas yet. Add ½ cup quinoa with 1 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes in the pan. Garnish with cilantro and lime. Serve warm. Adjust the cooking time based on the package directions for your brand. Follow the remaining instructions as-is.
Pro-tip for binding burger patties
- If you're adding more than one freshly grated vegetable, you may want to add 1 tbsp. of cornflour or 1 egg, so that the patties bind easily.
Notes
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1patty | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Priyanka says
Hi Aneesha,
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I made it the other day and it tasted amazing!
Aneesha says
Hi Priyanka, thank you, glad you enjoyed it. This is my fav veggie burger recipe 🙂