Inspired! Tandoori turkey burgers!

Oh blogging, how I've missed you!! Hello, friends.

I've found some inspiration, via our friends at Everyday Foods on PBS (woohoo public television!). If you've ever seen this show, you'll know it isn't particularly entertaining (the hosts are quite... monotonous, in my opinion), but I have frequently found their recipes inspiring and easy. I was watching a recent episode all about burgers, and with summer just around the corner, it seemed to be a good fit!!

These burgers are Tandoori-Style Turkey Burgers with Cumin Yogurt Sauce (the original uses chicken, but I used turkey). I just adore Indian spices, and this burger sounded very refreshing and tasty!

I started with a combination of ground white turkey, and ground dark turkey. I added the lemon juice, spices, ginger, and scallions, and combined with my hands. The spices included cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper (the original calls for cardamom, but it was too expensive so I omitted it). Yuck, I hate the feeling of raw meat, especially when it gets stuck underneath my fingernails!



I used a 1/4-cup measuring cup to approximate the size of the patties, and formed them into these mini-size patties. They are so cute!


Onto the grill pan they went... smells good...


And flipped them to get lovely grill marks. These little guys cook up faster than bigger burgers, so you don't have to wait as long to eat them :)


As a cool accompaniment, the yogurt sauce consists of nonfat Greek yogurt, cumin, salt, and pepper.


I put two mini-burgers in a whole-wheat pita half, along with the yogurt sauce, thinly sliced cucumber, and fresh cilantro leaves. The spices add a deep and exotic flavor to these burgers, and the coolness of the yogurt and cucumber are a perfect compliment. Not to mention, the cilantro, which I cannot get enough of!! Overall, I am very happy with this recipe. It's simple, quick, and full of flavor and interesting depth. I think you'll love it as much as I did!!

High five for inspiration!



Tandoori-Style Turkey Burgers with Cumin Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground white turkey meat
0.75 lb. ground dark turkey meat
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp chopped or grated fresh ginger
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
S&P
whole-wheat pitas, halved
1 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs

For the yogurt sauce:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
S&P

Directions:
1. Combine turkey meat, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, and S&P into a large bowl. Use hands to combine thoroughly.
2. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, form mini-patties (I ended up with 18).
3. Heat a grill pan, or grill, to medium-high heat. You can brush/spray some vegetable oil, if you'd like.
4. Place burger patties on grill. Do not touch the patties until you are ready to turn. Cook for about 7-8 minutes on each side, or until there are nice grill marks and the meat is cooked through.
5. Make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, cumin, and S&P.
6. Spread the yogurt sauce on one side of the pita.
7. Place two mini-patties into the pita pocket. Add cucumber slices and cilantro.
8. ENJOY your tasty creation!