Even if you don’t like eggplant, you will love these eggplant burgers, which really don’t taste like eggplant at all! Try them with Spicy Onion-Pepper Relish or your favorite burger toppings.
Leftovers give you two separate good feelings. When you first put them away, you feel really intelligent–“I’m saving food!” And then, after a month, when hair is growing out of them and you throw them away you feel…really intelligent–“I’m saving my life!”
–George Carlin
I often think of eggplants like George Carlin’s leftovers. When you buy one, you feel really good for bringing home this healthy, shiny vegetable. Then you put it into your fridge and forget it for a week or so, and when you pull it out, it’s all dull and sunken in places, and you feel…. Well, that’s where the comparison ends because, if you’re like me, you feel guilty that this once-beautiful food has gone to waste.
It used to happen to me more often than I want to admit until I hit upon a solution: If I haven’t used the eggplant after two or three days, I cut it in two and roast it in my toaster oven. Eggplant will last longer once it’s cooked, giving me time to figure out what new and adventurous recipe I want to create with it (though most of the time my cooking muse is silent and it becomes baba ganoush).
Baba will probably always be my favorite way to use roasted eggplant, but these veggie burgers and the pesto I posted earlier this summer tie for second place. Even if you don’t like eggplant, you will love these burgers, which really don’t taste like eggplant at all (ask E the Eggplant Hater, who enjoyed her burger even knowing it contained eggplant).
I used a new favorite ingredient to bind together the eggplant and lentils: Quinoa flakes are quinoa that has been steamed and flattened so that you can use it like oatmeal as a hot cereal. It cooks quickly and in this recipe doesn’t have to be pre-cooked at all.
But if you don’t have quinoa flakes, regular old-fashioned oats also work. Just pulse them in the food processor after measuring to chop them up a little (no need to turn them into flour.)
If you’re not a curry lover, try changing the seasonings to suit your taste. The ingredients go well with chipotle and chile powder or thyme, basil, and oregano. Have fun and be adventurous!
One note: The batter is wetter than most veggie burgers’, so I form the burgers in a hot skillet and pre-brown them before baking or air frying them. Forming them into patties with your hands can be messy, so I advise placing a ring mold into the skillet, filling it to about 1/2-inch thick, and lifting it off to use again. You may think that the batter will never thicken up, but it does, creating a meatier texture than you might expect.
Like most veggie burgers, these will probably fall apart if you try to cook them on a barbecue grill, but once they’re baked, they hold together well and can be reheated on the grill, making them a perfect food to bring to a Labor Day picnic.
Even dogs love them! 😉
Curried Eggplant, Lentil, and Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (*see Notes below)
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 3/4 cup quinoa flakes or rolled oats (Chop old fashioned oats in food processor after measuring and before using.)
- 1/2 small onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons potato starch, corn starch, or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (spicy or mild)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or other sweetener, optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Suggested Tools
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove the top of the eggplant and cut it in half lengthwise. Place it cut-sides down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggplant is completely sunken in and tender. Remove to a shallow dish and allow to cool completely. (You can do this even several days in advance and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.)
- Once the eggplant is cool, discard any liquid that has accumulated and scrape the pulp from the peel. Place the pulp in a food processor and pulse a few times to make a coarse puree. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix very well and allow to stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Wet your hands and form eggplant mixture into patties about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. (You can also form the burgers by spooning the mixture into the pan and using the back of a spoon to shape it into patties or by placing a ring mold into the pan and molding the mixture inside it.) Cook three or four at a time until well browned and then carefully flip over and brown the other side. Remove with a spatula and place each burger on a prepared baking sheet for oven baking or preheated air fryer basket.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Place the browned burgers onto the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until burgers are cooked through.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Place the browned burgers onto the hot air fryer basket and cook for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Exact time will depend on your air fryer.
- Serve with traditional hamburger condiments or with Spicy Onion-Pepper Relish, below.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
I enjoyed the flavor of mild curry with the lentils and eggplant and, being the heat-lover that I am, spiced them up by serving them with this fiery relish made from onions and a jalapeno pepper from my garden.
Spicy Onion-Pepper Relish
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion , finely diced
- 1 hot pepper (I used red jalapeno), seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon spicy smoked paprika (or 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and allow to stand for 30 minutes for flavors to blend. For hotter relish, add extra cayenne pepper to taste.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share!
Plunkdaddy
September 10, 2010 at 9:00 pmI made these with a little more than half a cup a cup of quinoa flour (1/2 plus 1/8 of a cup of flour) and they turned out perfect. I usually hate making veggie burgers because they always seem to fall apart on me…not these. They stayed in patty formation in the browning and eating stages. Yum!
Dennis
September 12, 2010 at 2:22 pmHi, as of 9/8/10 I decided to become a vegan. Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve tried several different veggie burgers. Those past veggie burgerssent me back to meat. These are different. I made these burgers and I honestly have to say they are great! I love the crunch from the quinoa and the great taste. I’m a burger guy and don’t like mushy burgers. I am going to need your help with this new lifestyle change and these burgers is a start! I modified the recipe some. First, I grilled my eggplant, brushing it with olive oil first. I grilled it for 30 minutes turning them half way thru. I used tapicoa flour for the starch and brown rice sryup for the sweetner. To me, the smoked paprika is a must. I love these burgers! I eat mine on a bun topped with cole slaw. I also use this recipe as meatballs for my spaghetti. This is a 10 star recipe! thanks! dj
Leslie
September 13, 2010 at 8:12 pmThese were delicious!! A great way to use eggplant. My husband refuses to eat eggplant and hates the taste of it. I didn’t tell him til after he told me how much he enjoyed the burgers. You can’t even taste it. I added some cayenne pepper to spice them up and bit. Served them on toasted Ezekiel Bread with some garlic hummus, yum!! Thanks for another great recipe.
Cassie
September 16, 2010 at 11:48 pmthanks for this recipe!! I love eggplant and it seems all the best eggplant recipes are on your blog 🙂 I blended some oats into oat flour and subbed them for the quinoa, and the burgers were delicious.
lovemyfamily
September 18, 2010 at 11:07 amMade these last night, I just threw them on a cookie sheet with some sprayed oil and skipped the stovetop part and they still turned out great
moonwatcher
September 21, 2010 at 3:53 pmHi again Susan,
Just wanted to let you know these burgers traveled well on our epic road trip and were delicious every time we ate them. Back home, I just made a second batch a couple of days ago, and realized that I had somehow missed the part about pan-frying them and I had only baked them. This is better for me anyway, and, like lovemyfamily just above, they turned out great just baking them both times, and did not fall apart. They even turn easily on the parchment from browning purposes. They are more golden cooked this way than dark brown, but that is not an issue for me. These will be one of my go-to recipes. Thanks!
moonwatcher
Lisa
September 30, 2010 at 9:49 pmWe just finished our dinner. Both my husband and I loved it.
Do you mind if I repost this recipe with several adjustments in my livejournal? The recipe will be translated to russian and I will add a clear reference (with a link) to your blog.
By the way, here is my picture – http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab265/vasilisab/9f7c72f8.jpg?1285901245
SusanV
September 30, 2010 at 10:04 pmLove your photo! I’m happy for you to use the recipe. Thanks for asking.
Sarah
October 4, 2010 at 1:08 amMade these for dinner tonight and they were excellent! I’m trying to figure out what else I can pair the leftovers with instead of “burger” materials. I want to enhance their great flavor!
Kristin
October 6, 2010 at 6:12 pmOh.My.Gawd. I made these for dinner tonight with the onion relish… they were AMAZING!!!! My husband and I both LOVED them. I actually added some chopped red pepper to the onion relish (my husband doesn’t like onions so I did this to mask the onion flavour a little) and it was soooo good. I love eggplant and am so happy everytime I find a new way to use it! Thank you!
Leslie
October 10, 2010 at 7:28 amI know I’ve already commented on this recipe but these are now my absolute favorite veggie burger. NOTHING compares! Thank you soooo much for this awesome recipe. I just made them again and froze them. They reheat great. Thanks again!! Leslie
Maddy
October 13, 2010 at 5:18 amHI Susan
Just wanted to ask if we need to change anything in the recipe is we cook the burgers on a pan instead of baking them in the oven?
Thanks!! (for having this site. its really the best!)
Maddy
SusanV
October 13, 2010 at 8:02 amYou might try covering the pan for part of the cooking time to steam them a little. Other than that, I suggest long cooking on each side at a low setting. Good luck!
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
October 17, 2010 at 10:40 pmI would really love to try these out Susan. Looks and sounds delish! I just recently (last week) tried Indian food for the first time and am in love. Was wonderig what type of curry powder you use..? Also, do you think cardamom would work in these ?
SusanV
October 17, 2010 at 11:22 pmI buy a curry powder called Maharajah from Penzey’s or from the Spice House, both of which have online stores. Cardamom would work if you blend it with cumin and other seasonings (which is what curry powder is, a mixture of spices). If you can get it, I really recommend the Maharajah, though.
erica
October 18, 2010 at 10:51 amI’m very interested to try these out – have you ever used spelt flakes in place of the quinoa flakes. Just curious.
Thanks!
SusanV
October 18, 2010 at 10:54 amI haven’t tried spelt flakes, but if they cook in about the same time as quinoa flakes or oatmeal, they should work. If you try, please let me know how they come out!
kitkat
October 23, 2010 at 7:42 pmI made this today and it turned out great. I substituted quinoa flakes with rice flakes which can be found in most Indian stores as “poha” or flattened rice. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathy Khan
October 25, 2010 at 2:52 pmLooks great! I am a Vegan starting today due to health reasons and I will try these this week! You give me great hope in a yummy future!
Liesl
November 20, 2010 at 2:48 pmThese look great and I just got everything to make them- almost. I don’t have any corn or potato starch and am living in France where these things don’t seem to be easy to come upon. Any ideas? Thanks!
SusanV
November 20, 2010 at 5:24 pmCan you get arrowroot? You can substitute the cornstarch with about 1 1/2 times as much arrowroot.
Kim
November 23, 2010 at 5:51 amHi Susan,
I just discovered your site yesterday and am already addicted! These burgers look gorgeous. I plan to make them this evening. My husband’s not a big aubergine fan but after reading the reviews I’m hoping he won’t even notice.
I made your samosa wraps and lentil and veg stew last night and they went down a treat, particularly the wraps. They were so tasty. Thank you again.
Oh by the way I can’t get quinoa over here (I’m Irish living in Damascus) so was wondering if bulghur would work?
SusanV
November 23, 2010 at 8:10 amThanks for all the great comments, Kim. I worry that bulghur won’t hold these burgers together very well. I suggest oatmeal (the sliced oats, not whole ones) or oat flour (oats ground in a blender) instead of the quinoa flakes. Good luck!
Kim
November 24, 2010 at 8:36 amHi Susan,
Thank you for the reply. I appreciate how busy you are.
Well you were right about the bulghur-it was hard to keep them together but I managed it by using your method of forming them with the spoon and just being really gentle. They were delicious. My husband hadn’t a clue they contained aubergines so he was pleasantly surprised.
I’m in the middle of roasting some tomatoes for bruschetta. Your description sounded so nice I had to try it.
Again thank you so much for taking the time to test and perfect all the recipes. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
Sashira
November 27, 2010 at 6:59 pmI’ve been a long time follower, but this is my first comment. I made these last night and my husband and I just DIED! They were so good! I kept thinking about them all day today. I’ve tried many recipes from your blog, and have loved every one of them, but this one just blew us away! Thank you!
Kelly Michelle
December 5, 2010 at 2:51 pmDelicious, just like all your recipes. I used oatmeal for the quinoa flakes cause that’s what I had and they came out great. I didn’t make the salsa because these pair PERFECTLY with hummus, my fav. I have tried many many veggie burger recipes and this is one of the very best in terms of not falling apart as many recipes tend to do.
Vanessa
December 7, 2010 at 12:27 pmAMAZING super food. We just finished eating and it was beautiful. We made it alongside a cherry tomato and mixed greens salad, super finely chopped and added some avocado to the relish to make it more of a paste so we could scoop it up. SOOO tasty! Thank you!
Mari
January 6, 2011 at 2:01 pmI made these burgers tonight but my mixture wouldn’t stick together. I use puy lentils…which I think was wrong! What lentils do you use Susan? They tasted great…just looked or turned out nothing like yours! 🙁
SusanV
January 6, 2011 at 2:42 pmI’m sorry to hear that, Mari! I did use brown lentils, which are a bit mushier than puy lentils, so that might have been the problem.
Mari
January 7, 2011 at 6:45 amAh I thought afterwards I should of used something like split red lentils as, like you say, they are mushier and would have the right consistency. Will definitely try these again.
Mari
January 14, 2011 at 8:19 amTake number 2 Susan and they turned out perfect! These are SO yummie 🙂 I don’t eat wheat so had these with a nice salad and some spicy guacamole!
Craig
January 24, 2011 at 5:57 pmWhat type of lentils do you recommend?
Craig
January 24, 2011 at 5:59 pmBrown lentils – just saw your comment above. I take it you mean the round disc green/brown ones.
SusanV
January 24, 2011 at 6:30 pmThat’s right. They’re the only ones that most grocery stores carry. The French lentils (puy) are probably not soft enough.
Fiona
February 2, 2011 at 5:10 amWow. These are really, really good. They are so flavorful! Everyone in my family loved them and agreed they were repeat worthy. They really weren’t even that hard either! I cooked the eggplant in the morning and then finished the recipe in the evening. I didn’t have the smoked paprika so I just used the Hungarian sweet. Amazingly the regular supermarket in a small town in Australia, Coles, carries quinoa flakes and agave nectar so it was easy to get the ingredients too! We had ours with the relish and romaine lettuce and tomato slices and sliced beetroot and they really didn’t need anything else to be absolutely perfect. The sliced beetroot is a really great addition – I very much recommend it. I love that these are so healthy and also so tasty. I love food with lots of herbs and spices and these burgers fit the bill! I was also impressed by how well they stuck together – something vegan burgers don’t usually do so well. A++! Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe Susan! Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Get Skinny, Go Vegan.
March 2, 2011 at 3:00 pmYum!! LOVE that you don’t add extra fat!!
Patrice Keating
June 11, 2011 at 4:29 pmI just made these today….doubled the recipe….company coming for dinner tomorrow. Used a # 16 scoop which I sprayed with some Pam and lightly flattened with the back of the scoop until 1/2″ thick. A doubled recipe made 18 patties.
I found the quinoa flakes in the health-food section of my local grocery store, no problem. More importantly…these burgers ROCK!!!!!….The Fam’s gonna love ’em!….Please know how important it is for me to have someone a click away on my computer with such a plethora of knowledge….thank you. : )
cris
June 20, 2011 at 9:25 pmThese burgers are delicious! My 12 year old loves them. Thanks for the recipe!
Marina
July 7, 2011 at 3:12 pmThanks Susan! Can You recommend other vegetable instead of eggplant?
Thanks
Erin
September 1, 2011 at 12:31 pmI made these last night and they were awesome. I’m going to make a double batch this weekend and freeze them for easy suppers during the week. SOOO delicious!
Jeni Morris
January 15, 2012 at 9:12 pmI just wanted to let you know I made these for dinner tonight and we loved them!
I did use Whole Cooked Quinoa and a some extra Whole Wheat Panko crumbs to help bind them, (since I did not of the Quinoa flakes on hand) and they worked out perfect!
tereza crump aka MyTreasuredCreations
February 11, 2012 at 3:37 amhere is my question: can I freeze this? could I make a big batch and freeze small portions to reheat on a skillet?
Susan Voisin
February 11, 2012 at 8:35 amYes, I think it would freeze very well.
Carol
June 3, 2012 at 6:40 pmIn the ingredients, do you mean 1 cup of dried lentils, cooked, or 1 cup of previously cooked lentils?
Susan Voisin
June 3, 2012 at 6:54 pm1 cup of previously cooked lentils.