Black Eyed Peas Burger

Summer is synonymous with burgers, grills,salads, ice creams, freezies and picnics. This summer we did all of this/ Summer meals were quick fixes and we enjoyed a lot of burger meals with a salad on the side followed by some low fat frozen yogurt. I made different vegetarian burgers like the quinoa black bean burger (here) , brown rice kidney bean burger (here) and this super delicious black eyed peas burger. I like to make burger patty at home mainly because I am not a big fan of soy burgers which are sold as veggie burgers in most stores and also because I can control what goes in it. The store bought burger patty usually have copious amount of sodium along with a whole lot of unnecessary things which are best avoided. You can make a big batch of these patties and freeze them (they freeze well) and you can have a burger meal ready in no time. Works out great for the days you don't feel like cooking.

Black eyed peas are a low fat and low calorie food, half cup of these peas is generally less than 100 calories and contains about 1 gram of fat. Another important health benefit of black eyed peas is their high fiber content. A half cup of cooked dry black eyed peas have about 5.6 grams of fiber which helps regulate your digestive system and helps keep your cholesterol levels healthy. Additionally, high fiber foods keep you feeling full since they are digested slowly which is important for weight control. Black eyed peas are also a great source of potassium, protein and iron. Here is the recipe for these healthy and delicious burgers.

Black Eyed Peas Burger

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups cooked black eyed peas
• 1 small potato boiled
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup powdered oats
• 3 tsp taco sauce
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• 1 small onion diced 
• A dash of Siracha sauce (optional)
• Cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method

• Pan fry the onions with a few drops of oil till they are browned and keep them aside to cool.
• In a bowl add the cooked black eyed peas and roughly mash them. 
• Add potato, garlic,cilantro, caramalised onions,taco sauce, taco seasoning, red chilli powder, lemon juice, powdered oats, salt and mix well.
• Oil your hands and make patty of desired shape and size and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Heat a skillet and pan fry the patty till browned and crisp.
• Serve on a warm burger bun with condiments of choice.

Notes

• If using dry black eyed peas soak them over night and pressure cook till done ( about 3 whistles)
• You can use canned black eyed peas as well. Since the canned peas already have sodium add less salt to the mixture.
• The above mentioned quantity of oats was sufficient but if you find it difficult to shape the patty, increase the quantity of powdered oats to half a cup. 
• To keep any vegetarian bean burgers moist, add some sauce ( taco sauce, salsa, chilli sauce or any other sauce you like) else the burgers end up being dry.
• Here is a picture of the burger patty before pan frying 

Black Eyed Peas Burger