Vietnamese-style tofu burger

Vietnamese-style tofu burger, a sweet, spicy dressing and mountains of fresh, crunchy vegetables – Gaz Oakley’s vegan tofu burger is a flavour bomb!

Ingredients

For the tofu burger

• 300g/10½oz extra-firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemongrass paste
• 3 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• handful coriander, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 1 tbsp finely chopped Thai basil (or regular basil)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
• 5 tbsp buckwheat flour, or other flour (wholemeal, gram, spelt or rye)
• 1 lime, zest only
• plain flour, for dusting
• 1 tbsp olive oil

F0r the dressing

• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

To assemble

• 4 burger buns, cut in half, toasted
• 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
• ¼ cucumber, peeled into ribbons
• 4 tsp vegan mayonnaise

Method

1. If cooking on a barbecue, light the coals twenty minutes or so before you want to cook the burgers so that the flames die down and the charcoal is covered in ash. The rack should be a 17–20cm/6–8in from the coals and you will need a flame-proof cast iron pan to cook the burgers on. Alternatively, you can cook these burgers in a frying pan.

2. To make the burgers, put the tofu in a large mixing bowl and mash it into small pieces with a potato masher. Alternatively, break it into small pieces with your hands. Add the rest of the burger ingredients (except the plain flour and olive oil) to the bowl and mix everything together until well incorporated. Be careful not to overmix it – this will result in a mushy burger.

3. To form the burger patties, start by dusting your hands with a little flour to stop the mix from sticking to you. Divide the mixture into four (you can use scales to measure the patties accurately if you like). Shape each of the patties into smooth balls, then pat them down gently. Set aside on a plate while you make the sauce.

4. Meanwhile, mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and prepare the garnishes. Toast the burger buns in a toaster or on the barbecue.

5. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat or place a cast iron pan to heat over a barbecue. Cooking them on the barbecue will add a lovely smoky flavour. When the pan is hot, drizzle the burgers with oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Lower the heat and continue to cook for around 4–5 minutes, turning regularly, until firm and cooked through. Just before the end of cooking, drizzle the burgers with a spoonful of the dressing to glaze. (Don’t do this too early, as it will catch and burn on the pan.)

6. Once the burgers are cooked, serve them inside a toasted bun with carrot and cucumber ribbons, extra coriander, vegan mayonnaise and more of the dresssing.

Vietnamese-style tofu burger