Lentil + mushroom burgers with sambal slaw and pickled ginger

An unexpected marriage of flavours resulted in one of the yummiest dinners we've made in the past few weeks.  As we are primarily vegetarian (or I guess the buzz word "plant based" is suitable here) we often have lentils, beans and chickpeas soaking to use for dips, stews, soups, salads and the like.

I was in the mood for something hearty and suggested vegetarian burgers. We came up with a "North African" inspired dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

For the "burgers"

2 cups cooked lentils
3 eggs
2/3 cup panko crumbs
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
1 teaspoon Za'atar
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of caramelised onion and mushrooms (50/50)
1 head of cilantro, parsley and 1/2 head of mint, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients but don't over mix, you want to retain the texture of the lentils and not turn them to mush.

Form the lentil mixture into patty sized "burgers". Fry on medium high heat in sunflower oil, 5-7 minutes per side, until brown and crispy. Top with fried halloumi cheese and remove from heat once melted.

For the sambal slaw

Your choice of cabbage - I love the texture of napa. You'll need 3 cups, roughly chopped (the leftovers can be used for salad or added to other sandwiches and burgers)
1/2 cup fresh sambal. Find my recipe here, I would use the "hot and cooked" version for this recipe, but add 1-2 additional tomatoes. You can also use Sambal Oelek, easily found at any grocery store.
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together - if you're not a fan of spice, just omit the sambal and substitute with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

Accoutrements:

1 avocado, sliced
Pickled ginger, thinly sliced
Pickled turnip, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds
Pretzel buns

To assemble:

Slather the buns with butter, and fry in a pan until golden. Top with the sambal slaw, freshly sliced avocado, pickled ginger, pickled turnip and sesame seeds.

They should look something like this:

Enjoy!