Have a bun time

Simply chicken

Nothing fancy, and yet it's what most burger lovers will be craving for now. "A simple yet succulent chicken burger will leave your family super impressed. Most of the ingredients are available at home," says Jimmy Bhore, owner of Jimis Burger, who shares the recipe.

Ingredients
Finely minced chicken kheema - 400g
Egg yolk - 1
Cubes of cheese - 2
Big garlic cloves - 5
Chopped fresh coriander
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Sweet chilli sauce
Burger buns - 4
Iceberg lettuce - 1 (optional)
Tomato (sliced) - 1
Onion - 1
Cheese slices - 4 to 8
Mayonnaise
Butter

Method
Mix the egg yolk into the kheema. Grate the processed cheese cubes into the kheema. Sauté some garlic in butter and add it to the mix. Throw in the coriander, chilli flakes, salt and crushed black pepper. Add 5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and bind it all together. Divide it into four flat disc-shaped patties (approximately 120gm each) and put it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat up some butter in a pan and grill the patty for around 90 seconds. Flip the patty, add a cheese slice and grill for 90 seconds. Toast two halves of a bun with some butter on a pan. Put some fresh iceberg lettuce on the toasted bun. Mix some mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce and slather on the bun. Place the patty and top it with some pan-charred onions rings and fresh tomato slices. Now, spread some sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise on the other bun and place it on top to close the burger.

Hummus meets eggplant

For those missing their dose of hummus, Gavin W Shaw, owner of the Malad-based Stacks and Racks, shares a recipe called the Belly dancer burger. "It uses the soulful Arabian flavours of hummus, fresh peppers and garlic blended, along with roasted eggplant," he tells us.

Ingredients
Red and yellow peppers (both finely chopped) - 300 gm
Green capsicum (finely chopped) - 100 gm
Garlic cloves (finely chopped) - 30 gm
Crushed peanuts - 40 gm
Hummus - 50 gm
Salt and pepper to taste
Roasted eggplant - 100 gm
Maida - 30 gm
Bread crumbs - 40 gm
Burger buns - 8

For the hummus:
Chickpeas (boiled) - 40 gm
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Cumin powder - 10 gm
Garlic (chopped) - 1 tsp
Tahini paste - 2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
For the hummus, mix all the ingredients in a blender and set it aside. In a pan on medium flame, add oil and sauté the peppers along with the chopped garlic. Now, add the crushed peanuts and sauté for a bit. Then add the de-seeded and skinned roasted eggplant. Let this cook for a bit, before taking it off the heat and letting it cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Now, add the hummus, maida, salt and pepper to this and mix well. Make four 120 gm round patties. Add bread crumbs to it and layer the patties well. Deep-fry these patties till they are golden brown. Simultaneously, grill the buns on the pan or in an oven for a minute. Add lettuce and mayonnaise on the bun, place the fried patties, add cheese, sliced tomatoes, onions and gherkin. Spread some more hummus if you like. Stick in a toothpick through the top centre of the buns and serve it with fries.

Mango twist

Since the season of the king of fruit is upon us, chef Abhishek Pednekar of Woodside Inn, Andheri, suggests making use of it to go along with a grilled chicken burger. "This is a simple grilled chicken burger elevated with a tangy and spicy mango salsa. One can also do a variation
with pineapple here, depending on the availability," Pednekar says.

Ingredients
For the burger:
Minced chicken - 300 gm
Onion (chopped) - 50 gm
Garlic (chopped) - 30 gm
Ginger (chopped) - 10 gm
Celery (chopped) - 20 gm
Chilli flakes - 10 gm
Salt - 5 gm
Black pepper (crushed) - 5 gm
Burger buns - 2
Butter - 30 gm
Oil - 30 ml
Iceberg lettuce (torn) - 20 gm
Onion slices - 20 gm
Gherkins - 20 gm
Mayonnaise - 30 gm
Egg - 1

For the mango salsa:
Mango (chopped) - 100 gm
Tomato (chopped) - 30 gm
Onion (chopped) - 20 gm
Green chilli (chopped) - 10 gm
Coriander (chopped) - 10 gm
Tomato ketchup - 20 gm
Lemon juice - 10 ml
Olive oil - 20 ml
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and celery for three to four minutes on medium heat. Add the chopped basil, thyme chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper to the mix and sauté for another three minutes. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. In a bowl, add a beaten egg to the minced chicken and then incorporate the cooked mixture into it. Make two patties out of this and refrigerate. Heat oil in a flat-bottommed non-stick pan and grill the chicken patties for around 10 to 12 minutes; keep flipping them. When they're almost done, add cheese slices on them. For the mango salsa, mix the ingredients together and allow it to chill in a refrigerator. Cut your burger buns into half and toast them on a flat bottomed-pan until brown and crusty. Spread butter and mayonnaise on top and bottom of the bun, place the iceberg lettuce on the base, and then arrange sliced onions, tomatoes and gherkin. Put the chicken patty on top of them and add the chilled mango salsa on it. Serve it hot with fries.

Burger facts

. Hamburgers or burgers are among the most iconic fast foods consumed in the USA.

. May is celebrated as the National Hamburger Month in the country.

. Celebrations include throwing barbecue parties at home and burger offers around the country, among other things.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news