Lentil and Charcoal Roasted Carrot Burger with Roasted Kale and Green Banana Guacamole

Ingredients

250g oven-baked onions
2 Tbs dry-roasted walnuts
500g thick carrots
60g day-old bread, broken into pieces
1 bunch fresh coriander
2 Tbs mild chilli powder, such as piment d'Espelette
Juice of one lemon
120g cooked red lentils
Rapeseed or peanut oil for frying

Oven Baked Onions:

4 onions
2 Tbs butter
Olive oil for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Dry Roasted Walnuts:

1kg walnuts with shells (500 g without shells)
2 Tbs mild chilli powder, such as piment d'Espelette
Sea salt

Roasted Kale:

500g kale or cavolo nero
4 small garlic cloves
100mL olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green Banana Guacamole:

2 garlic cloves
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs chopped fresh coriander
2 Tbs cane sugar
Zest and freshly squeezed juice of one lime
5 unripe bananas
50g finely chopped pistachios
200g crème fraiche
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve:

6 burger buns
Butter for buns
Roasted kale
Green Banana Guacamole
Thinly sliced jalapeno

Method

Oven Baked Onions:

Pre-heat oven to 200 C. Peel onions and cut into quarters. Put them in an ovenproof dish, add butter and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes or until they have developed colour, even a little burnt. Take out and allow to cool.

Dry Roasted Walnuts:

Crack open walnuts and remove shells. Heat a dry frying pan, ideally a cast iron one. Toast the nuts over a medium heat until they start to take on a little colour, for about 2 minutes. Shake the pan now and then so nuts don’t get too burnt, but don’t worry if they burn slightly – it creates a good flavour.

Take the pan off the heat and season with chilli and salt.

Roasted Kale:

Pre-heat oven to 120 C. Cut stem off kale if it is thick and woody. Put kale leaves and garlic on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.

Take out of oven and transfer to a wire rack with baking paper underneath to catch any excess oil.

Green Banana Guacamole:

Peel garlic and put in a food processor with parsley, coriander, sugar, lime zest and juice. Mix to a smooth consistency.

Mash bananas with a fork and place in a bowl with pistachios, crème fraiche, shallots and herbs. Mix with a fork and season to taste.

Light the barbeque, making sure you use charcoal that has not been chemically treated. Put the carrots straight onto the charcoal while it is actively flaming and roast for 30-40 minutes until they are completely black. Remove with barbeque tongs and allow to cool.

Rub the skin off the carrots, either wearing rubber gloves or using a plastic bag. Divide carrots into small pieces.

Put carrots, oven-baked onions, 2 tablespoons of dry-roasted walnuts, bread, coriander, chilli and lemon juice into a food processor and mix to form an even consistency. Transfer to a bowl and stir in red lentils.

Take a handful of mixture at a time and shape into six round patties, either by hand or using a food ring. Put the patties on a plate and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably longer, so they will hold together better when you fry them.

Pre-heat oven to 180 C.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the patties over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on both sides. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake in oven for 5-10 minutes.

Butter buns on the cut surface and fry quickly in a pan or grill in the oven. Place a patty on top and finish with green banana guacamole, roasted kale and jalapeno slices.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Green Burgers by Martin Nordin published by Hardie Grant Books and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Green Burgers by Martin Nordin published by Hardie Grant Books and is available in stores nationally.