Bulgur Borlotti Bean Burgers

I saw these Bulgur-Bean burgers on Barbara's blog Dish 'n' that a while ago and have been wanting to make them, so today was the day. A sit down in front of the TV kinda meal. I made a few subtle changes, for two reasons: I did not have pinto beans or parsley in the house. Secondly, I increased the amount of spices in the burgers to suit my taste buds, other than that the recipe is pretty much spot on.

Bulgur Borlotti Bean Burgers

Makes 6 - 8 burgers

Ingredients
1/2 cup bulgur
1x 400ml can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, grated
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium egg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
A sprig or two of fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lettuce leaves, tomato slices and red onion rings

Method:
In a medium bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover bowl, and let sit until bulgur is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute the onion, carrot and celery in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until lightly browned, about five minutes. Add the coriander during the final minute; set aside.
Place beans in a medium bowl; mash with a potato masher. Add breadcrumbs, sauteed vegetable mixture, egg, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, tahini and bulgur. Season with salt and pepper; mix to combine.

Form mixture into 6 - 8 patties, each about 1 inch thick. At this stage you can leave them in the fridge to firm up. When ready to cook, in a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-low. Cook burgers until browned and firm, 5 to 8 minutes per side.

I served these with roasted Desiree potatoes and roasted green beans. All the fresh vegetables in this dish were my own, except for the celery, which was organic and Scottish.