Would it weird if I said I love burger any day compared to a pizza?! In Bangalore, there are as many pizza joints as the number of the burger joints. As soon as you think of grabbing a quick bite, burger or a pizza is what comes to your mind. I love hot burger with cheese and a side of fries every now and then. Often, the issue with having these burgers is that the taste is not quite maintained the same. Recently, I had the pleasure of having a spicy paneer burger/slider in a food truck. Yes yes yes! I had my first food truck experience. In Bangalore, food truck concept is slowly catching up and when I found a food truck in our locality, I had to try it 😀 The paneer sliders were super spicy with layers of spicy, hot sauces and juicy paneer. It was so hot that my mouth was burning for hours later. While it was an enjoyable experience, I was not too sure if I wanted such spicy food. The next week, I experimented the same in my kitchen and it turned lipsmackingly good. I toned down the spiciness to our likes and added more paneer/cottage cheese pieces per burger. The freshness of the lettuce, the juiciness of the paneer and the spicy, tangy sauce complimented each other so well and it was such a treat. I am sure this is going to be repeated a lot in my kitchen! Instead of spending a lot of time perfecting the burger patty and all that, this is such a hassle free burger recipe. For meat lovers, substitute the paneer/cottage cheese with chicken/lamb and I can guarantee you a fantastic dinner! 🙂 Check out my Baked Falafel Burger recipe here!
In a pan, heat oil. Add julienned onions. Fry until translucent and add ginger garlic paste and salt. Fry for a minute and add tomato puree.
Cook the puree for 3-4 mins. Add salt required, a generous pinch of sugar and all the masala powders – red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add cubed paneer/cottage cheese pieces. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
To prepare the burger/slider, heat a pan and spread a few drops of oil. Cut the burger bun in half and toast the burger buns (cut side down). Remove the buns onto a plate. Place (washed and wiped clean) iceberg lettuce leaves on the burger bun. Add the prepared paneer gravy on top of the lettuce leaves. Cover with the other half of the bun. Optionally, grated cheese/a cheese slice can be placed on top of the paneer gravy.
Serve hot as it is or with a side of potato chips!
Put the paneer/cottage cheese cubes in hot water for a minute to get extra soft paneer. Adjust the spices as per preference. I used “Homemade” brand of Tomato Puree as it’s very handy. The same can be prepared at home by blanching the tomatoes, removing the skin and then blending until smooth. The use of sugar is to cut through the tanginess of the tomato puree. If the masala is too thick, add few tablespoon of water. Do not make the paneer gravy too watery – on placing on the buns, they can turn soggy. Additionally chopped onions can be added while arranging the burger.
