Here’s one of Chef Priyanka Naik's recipes for Leftover Rice Veggie Burgers, which is made with leftover rice from a previous meal:

Leftover Rice Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

Garlic Coriander Aioli:

  • 1/2 cup vegan sour cream – I used Follow Your Heart
  • handful fresh coriander – washed, dried, include stems
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2-3 green chilies
  • Salt & Pepper

Burgers:

  • 1 cup leftover rice – I used white, but any rice will work!
  • 1 can pinto beans – drained & washed
  • 1 medium yellow onion sautéed with 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp each coriander seeds & cumin seeds
  • 3 dried red chilies
  • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/4 cup plain unsalted breadcrumbs – I used homemade
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Vegan cheese – I used Chao Original Cheese

Assembly Ingredients:

  • Burger buns
  • butter lettuce – I used Gotham Greens
  • beefsteak tomato – sliced
  • English cucumbers – shaved with a peeler
  • fresh lemon wedges
  • fresh coriander – roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Blend together all ingredients for the aioli until smooth and delicious. Set aside.
  2. Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and red chilies on low flame in a pan for about 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly browner in color. Keep an eye on this – it can burn quickly! Immediately remove and place in a mortar and pestle. Grind down until it’s all relatively fine with some remaining texture. Set aside.
  3. Place the beans in a large bowl and mash-up using a potato masher. Next, add in the rice and mix well using your hands. Now add in your spices, fenugreek, flaxseeds breadcrumbs, onion mixture, fresh coriander, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until it's all well incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Prepare a bowl of lukewarm water and have that at your burger-making station. Next, cut your cheese up into small 1/2 inch cubes. Now moisten your palms with the water and pick up a scoop of the burger mix and mold into a burger shape. Create a well into the center and add in your cheese cube. Mold around the cheese and add some more burger mix if necessary. Continue to make at least 4-5 burgers.
  5. Heat a non-stick over medium flame. Grease it up. Add in your burger and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Cover with a lid for the last minute to cook. Toast your buns too – no one wants a raw ass bun!
  6. Spread on a generous amount of aioli on your bottom bun, then add your burger, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, squeeze some lemon juice, add some fresh coriander and close it up! Voila! Leftover rice transformed!

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