Eggplant is the main filling for eggplant burgers.
Eggplant burgers are sandwiches made with eggplant as the main filling. They’re usually made to resemble traditional burgers: that is, with the eggplant made into a patty served on a bun with toppings like cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Many cooks make these burgers as a vegetarian alternative to meat-based burgers. Some recipes call for mixing the vegetable with the ground beef to make a burger. Adding grilled or roasted eggplant slices to prepared meat can also produce an eggplant burger.
The simplest recipes require little more than a thick slice of eggplant, seasoned and cooked to taste. The brinjal, also called brinjal or aubergine depending on the location, is a vegetable that normally grows as a thick oblong. Cutting it widthwise usually produces round discs with a diameter of about 8 to 13 cm. With the right thickness, these discs can be used as a substitute for hamburgers.
The eggplant is a very porous vegetable, which means that it absorbs liquids easily. For this reason, many chefs who cook with eggplant dip the slices in a variety of marinades a few hours before preparations begin. Common marinades for burgers include soy-based sauces, teriyaki glazes, and tomato sauces.
Although eggplant can be eaten raw, it has a very bitter taste. Almost all eggplant recipes require some form of cooking. Grilling, baking, broiling, and frying all work well for veggie burgers. Eggplant skin is edible, but is usually removed from eggplant burgers, depending on individual tastes and preferences.
It’s also possible to make eggplant burgers in a way that more closely mirrors the process of making more traditional burgers. Creative cooks often cube eggplant and then boil or slow-roast it for soft, tender pieces. These pieces are then combined with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, onions, herbs, and oil. Cooks knead everything together to make a dough, which they then shape into individual patties. These patties usually need to be cooked again, usually on a grill, before serving.
The additions and variations that can be made when preparing eggplant burgers are extensive. As the eggplant is a versatile vegetable and its flavor is usually mild, it is well suited to all sorts of different flavor combinations. Indian-style eggplant burgers may incorporate curry powder and lentils, for example, while Thai-inspired eggplant burgers often include chillies and basil leaves.
The vast majority of eggplant burgers are vegetarian, but not all are. Many cooks add pieces of grilled eggplant to beef patties. This is a common variation especially on lamb burgers. Roasted or grilled eggplant strips are also sometimes offered as a topping for burgers, along with more traditional garnishes like tomato and onion. While the term is most commonly used to describe burgers made with all or most of the eggplant, “eggplant burger” can be applied to any burger with eggplant included.