Millet Burgers with Miso and Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup millet
1½ cups filtered water
½ cup grated Japanese pumpkin
½ onion, brown or white, diced
1 tbsp finely snipped chives
tamari, to taste
1 tbsp brown rice flour, if needed
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp olive oil or rice bran oil

Sauce

1 tbsp shiro miso
1 tbsp hulled tahini (stir the tahini before using it as the oil separates)
½ cup chopped Japanese pumpkin, steamed
1 tbsp sake or mirin (optional)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Sea salt, to taste

To Serve

4 spelt sourdough buns
4 iceberg lettuce leaves

Method

To cook the millet, place it in a saucepan and wash well. Drain and add the water. Bring to the boil, then drop to a simmer. Put the lid half on the pan and gently cook over a medium heat until the water has almost evaporated. Taste the millet – it should be just tender. If not, add a little more water. Cover completely with the lid and remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 10–15 minutes to allow the millet to continue cooking in the steam.

Allow the millet to cool a little, then add to a bowl with the pumpkin, onion, chives and tamari. Mix well. You may need to add the brown rice flour if the mixture is too wet.

Cover with a plate or lid and leave in the fridge overnight to firm up. (If you don’t have time for this step, you will need to mix in a couple of eggs.)

Shape the millet mixture into patties (the number and size depends on the size of your buns), then roll in the sesame seeds.

To make the sauce, mash the miso, tahini, pumpkin, sake or mirin and ginger, or purée them using a handheld blender. Taste for seasoning.

Heat the oil in a hot cast-iron or non-stick pan then cook the patties for about 1 minute on each side, until golden.

To serve, spread the inside of each bun with about 1 tablespoon of the sauce, then top with a patty. Finish with a lettuce leaf and close up.


Serves 2

Recipe and image within Janella Purcell's cookbook "Janella's Wholefood Kitchen", published by Allen and Unwin.

www.allenandunwin.com

Credits: Recipe and image within Janella Purcell's cookbook "Janella's Wholefood Kitchen,” published by Allen and Unwin.

Photo Credits: Recipe and image within Janella Purcell's cookbook "Janella's Wholefood Kitchen,” published by Allen and Unwin.