Indian-Spiced Burgers

After serving chicken for multiple nights in a row, the husband was longing for something else to eat. When I told him we'd be having roasted chicken for Easter dinner, he sighed and asked if we could please have something different in the two nights left before Easter. Wanting to please, I flipped through the numerous recipes I tagged in my copy of Great Food Fast, looking for something new--and not chicken--to make for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the recipes I really wanted to try featured chicken, of course.

But then I came across a recipe for Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers. The husband and I are both big fans of making turkey burgers, and I am always looking for new flavors, so I decided to go with this recipe, subbing in ground turkey for the chicken.

I am so glad we gave these burgers a try! I normally don't care much for cumin, but combined with all of the other spices here, it made for a delicious new burger combo. The cayenne definitely spiced things up too; I was really glad I made the cumin yogurt sauce to help cut the heat! But, to be honest, I think I accidentally used 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne, instead of the 1/4 teaspoon called for in the recipe.

The husband, who despite being Pakistani, is not normally a fan of spicy or Indian food, *loved* these burgers and commented that I should make them twice a month. That was more specific than "add them to the rotation", so he must have really loved them!

Indian-Spiced Burgers with Cumin Yogurt Sauce
Source: adapted from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (I used regular table salt)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 a cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
whole wheat pitas

Directions
Prepare your grill for medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, green onions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10-30 minutes.

Form the meat into 3/4" thick patties, about 3 Tablespoons of meat per patty. Sprinkle with additional pepper.

Pour about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil on a folded paper towel. Using a pair of tongs, rub the oiled towel on the grates of the grill to prevent meat from sticking.

Grill the patties until cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature), about 3-4 minutes per side. About 2 minutes before the meat is done, heat the pitas on the grill as well.

Slice the pitas in half and place a cucumber slice and two patties inside. Drizzle with cumin yogurt sauce.

Cumin Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients
1 container (about 3/4 of a cup) low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve with Indian-spiced burgers.