Vegan burger patties or meatballs

Ingredients for 7 servings:

• 3 tsp, heaped vegetable stock powder
• ½ liter of water
• 60 g flaxseed meal
• 30 g sunflower seeds, crushed
• 230 g potatoes, mainly waxy
• 2 tsp salt
• 100 g carrot(s)
• 100 g onion(s)
• 15 g garlic
• 5 tbsp oil, neutral
• 800 g kidney beans (2 cans of 400 g each)
• 150 g oat flakes, fine
• 15 g parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3-fold concentrated
• 1 tbsp mustard, medium hot
• 2 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp thyme, shredded
• 2 tbsp soy sauce, dark, thick

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 3 hours 45 minutes

with kidney beans, potatoes, oat flakes

Weigh the potatoes and vegetables after cleaning or peeling. Dissolve 1 heaped teaspoon of vegetable stock powder in ½ liter of boiling water. Mix the flaxseed and sunflower seeds with 10 tablespoons of the hot(!) stock, cover, and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Let the remaining stock cool. Meanwhile, peel and grate the potatoes. Place them in a sieve over a bowl. Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt, mix, and let stand for at least 30 minutes. The salt should draw the water out of the potato strips. Don’t throw away the “potato water”! Place the kidney beans (you can also use black beans or 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of chickpeas) in a coarse sieve over a bowl and let drain. Collect the bean water! Do not rinse the beans; at most, pour a very small amount of water over the sieve over the beans to liquefy the “bean water” a little so that it drains more easily. Finely dice the onion, coarsely grate the carrots, and finely chop the garlic. Sauté the onions in a pan with a little oil over medium heat until translucent, then add the carrots for a few minutes to release some of the water and pre-cook. Finally, sauté the garlic briefly for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside to cool. Briefly wipe the pan (you’ll need this again). Add the grated potatoes to the large bowl. Add the potato water and bean water, along with the separated starch, to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low until the water has almost completely evaporated, until a very thick, sticky mass forms. Turn it over occasionally, if necessary, and allow it to evaporate on all sides. The mixture should become very firm and chewy. This will take some time. This starch-protein mixture will later create a better bond, which will ensure the patties don’t fall apart on the grill. Then let it cool. Meanwhile, coarsely puree the beans using a food mill (coarse) or an immersion blender with the food mill attachment, or mash them vigorously with a potato masher. Do not use the food mill, or the bean “skin” will also turn to mush. However, the bean skins will add some texture/consistency later, so it’s best to keep them. Grind 75g of the oats into flour using a blender/immersion blender. Add to the potatoes along with the remaining oats. Wash the parsley, remove the stems, and chop the leaves. Add to the potatoes. Also add the kidney beans, the cooled “glue,” the sautéed vegetables, the soaked flaxseeds and sunflower seeds, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of vegetable stock powder, mustard, 2 tablespoons of oil, paprika, pepper, thyme, and soy sauce. (Cumin, chili, and rosemary also work well.) Knead thoroughly with a hand mixer or a food processor fitted with a dough hook, or even by hand, until you have a smooth dough. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This is important for better binding. If the dough is too dry, add a little cold vegetable stock. After 30 minutes, knead the dough again. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat), 200 degrees Celsius (fan oven). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using a burger press, form the dough into even patties and place them on the baking paper. Brush the patties with a little oil. (You can also use vegan barbecue sauce instead of oil at this point.) Makes about 7 large (about 165 g) or about 17 to 18 small (about 65 g) patties. Place the patties in the preheated oven to pre-cook. This is quick and only takes a few minutes. As soon as the surface has turned light brown, remove the baking tray and patties from the oven and allow to cool/soak through. The cooled patties can now be prepared further: directly on the grill, or in the hot pan, or vacuum-sealed and/or separated in airtight containers lined with baking paper for later cooling or even frozen. The patties are firm enough to be placed on the grill rack without falling apart. Note: Frozen patties must be thawed before being placed in the pan or on the grill, otherwise they will turn black on the outside and still be frozen on the inside. They can also be quickly thawed at a lower heat (e.g. 100 degrees Celsius fan-assisted) in the oven (covered with aluminum foil or a second baking tray) or in a covered dish on the grill’s warming rack.