As far as I am concerned, Mumbai - a melting pot of cultures, religions and cooking - is the food capital of India, especially street food. Of course, 'burger' is not the word locals use for this snack; kavaab, kebab, cutlet or pattie are all more likely.
INGREDIENTS
Makes: 4 medium-sized or 8 small burgers
FOR THE BURGERS
500 grams chicken leg meat
4 - 5 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
10 - 15 sprigs fresh coriander
30 - 40 leaves fresh mint with stems
5 centimetres piece of fresh root ginger (peeled and coarsely chopped)
2 finger-type fresh green chilli
1 teaspoon Spice Kitchen garam masala (see below)
1 teaspoon Spice Kitchen ground cumin
1 teaspoon Spice Kitchen ground coriander
½ teaspoon Spice Kitchen ground turmeric
½ teaspoon Spice Kitchen red chilli powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
3 slices white bread (crusts removed)
extra-virgin rapeseed oil for griddling (optional)
salt
TO SERVE
4 - 8 split and toasted soft white burger buns
tomato (sliced)
red onion (sliced)
chutney
METHOD
Remove all the sinew and gristle from the chicken, but keep the fat attached. Cut into small pieces. Mince the chicken in a blender and add garlic, fresh herbs and chillies through it and into a bowl.
Add all the ground spices and the lime juice and knead well.
Soak the bread in water, then squeeze into a ball as dry as you can make it. Knead it thoroughly into the mince. Fry a small amount of the mixture to check the seasoning, then season the raw mixture with salt as necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until nice and firm.
Light a barbecue or heat an oiled griddle pan until very hot.
Meanwhile, shape the chicken mixture into equal-sized patties of your chosen size. Cook them on one side for about 3-4 minutes, until well coloured, then turn and cook the other side for about 3-4 minutes. Take care not to overcook them - when done, they should feel spongy and be slightly juicy inside.
Serve in toasted buns with sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions and chutney.
Chicken saag, or chicken saagwala, is a popular North Indian dish which is essentially a combination of spicy chicken and spinach. If you have already tried chicken saag in a restaurant, you will know this is seriously tasty and the good news is that it can be healthy too.
If you love spice and meaty bolognese, you will love this spicy spaghetti bolognese recipe which is actually more straightforward to cook over the traditional version because there are less ingredients and only requires simple spice.
