Anda Shami Burger

Ingredients

• 100 g chana daal (split chickpeas), rinsed
• 300 g chicken mince
• 400 ml water
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, for the patties, peeled
• 15 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 4 dried whole red chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 egg, for binding the patty mixture
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp cooking oil, for frying
• 4 burger buns
• 4 eggs, for topping
• 1 tbsp butter, for toasting the buns
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 small garlic clove, grated, for the sauce
• 1 tsp hot chilli sauce
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin rings

Instructions

1. Rinse the chana daal and soak it in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain well.
2. Put the drained daal, chicken mince, quartered onion, 4 garlic cloves, ginger, dried chillies, cumin, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and 400 ml water in a pot. Break up the mince with a spoon as it heats, and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the daal is soft enough to crush between your fingers and the chicken is cooked through (74°C inside). If any liquid remains, uncover and cook on higher heat until the pot is completely dry, stirring so it does not catch.
4. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Pick out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods, then grind the rest in a food processor into a thick, slightly coarse paste. It should hold together when pressed.
5. Mix in the raw egg, chopped coriander, green chilli and garam masala. With damp hands, shape into 4 patties about 10 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick, slightly wider than your buns.
6. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning gently once, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges. Move them to a plate.
7. Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, grated garlic and chilli sauce together in a small bowl.
8. Wipe the pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and fry the 4 eggs over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the edges are lacy. Season each with a pinch of salt. For a firm yolk, flip them and cook 30 seconds more.
9. Split the buns and toast them cut-side down with the butter in the pan for about 1 minute, until light golden.
10. Spread sauce on both halves of each bun. Layer lettuce, a shami patty, tomato, cucumber and onion rings, then top with a fried egg. Close the bun and serve straight away.

Tips

• Make sure the mixture is dry before grinding. Any leftover liquid makes the patties soft and they will break in the pan.
• Chill the shaped patties for 15 minutes if the mixture feels sticky. They will hold their shape better when frying.
• Grind in short pulses. A slightly coarse texture gives a better bite than a smooth paste.
• Fry the patties over medium heat, not high, so the crust browns without burning before the centre is hot.