Vegan Bhaji Burger

Indian inspired vegan bhaji burger made with red onion, sweet potatoes, and carrots. These vegan burgers are spicy, colorful, and bursting with flavor!

I can eat Indian food every single day. The flavors are so unique, and the food is always so colorful! I love the fact that so much veg and legumes are used in this cuisine, and the spices are just incredible. We first had these bhaji burgers earlier this year in a restaurant in London, and I just fell in love! They were made with paneer cheese and loaded with veggies and colors.

So we veganised the recipe and although it took us a few tries to get it right, I’m finally ready to share my recipe to the best vegan burger that I ever had!

Vegan Bhaji Burger Recipe

This burger is inspired by the onion bhaji, but it’s made with more than just onions and there is no deep-frying involved. In fact, if you eat this burger, it means that you’re having 8 different fresh veggies and herbs at once!

How to Make Bhaji Burgers

These burgers are so quick and easy! They take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish, and the result is always very impressive. It’s really difficult to go wrong with these burgers, so you don’t have to be a really confident cook to make these.

Step 1.

Prepare the mixture. Slice the red onion, grate the sweet potato, carrot, ginger, and garlic. Chop the coriander (the stalks and all), and add the seasonings.

Step 2.

Add gram flour, and water to bind it. If you need to add more water, then add gradually by very small amounts.

Using your hands, shape burger patties. They should be around 1 inch or 3cm thick.

Step 3.

Preheat the oven to 180C (360F).

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, and shallow fry each patty until it’s golden and crispy. Then pop on a baking tray and into the oven for around 10 minutes. This will ensure that the vegetables are cooked through and are no longer crunchy from the inside.

Assembling the Burgers

Take the base, and spread a dollop of vegan mayo over it.

Sprinkle with crushed poppadoms, and let the patty sit over them. The poppadoms give a lovely crunch to the burgers.

Spread a generous amount of mango sauce or chutney. I use Geeta’s premium mango sauce (it’s amazing!).

Top with shredded baby gem lettuce leaves, fresh coriander leaves, and chopped red chili for an extra flavor and a pop of color. Finish with the half top of the bun and enjoy!

Picnics and Barbecues

These vegan burgers are perfect for picnics and dining outdoors. We packed 4 of these bhaji patties last weekend and took them with us to the park. They’re so easy to assemble and can be enjoyed at room temperature/cold as well.

These burgers are also great for barbecues. As long as they’re cooked on a barbecue and not a grill, they’re going to crisp up and cook through just fine.

Looking for more picnic vegan recipes?

• Check out my vegan eggplant sandwich, it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog. 
• These chickpea falafel balls are to die for!
• If you’re looking for something that’s really simple and sweet, try my peanut butter and jam sandwich.
• For the kids, make this colorful kid-friendly pasta salad.