Burgers don't have to be always eaten at fast food burger joints. You can make them too, with a little effort but spectacular results.
Chef Mohammed Anas, co-founder of Beyondburg Inc, a popular Bengaluru burger hotspot on Palace Road, suggests making Mango Slaw Chicken Burgers at home.
The burger combines the crunch and sour of mango slaw with fried chicken pieces coated with a spicy, buttery buffalo sauce, creating a 'deliciously unique burger experience'.
Beyondburg Inc is a specialty burger string of restuarants. Anas and his friend Ajmal Jaseem founded Beyondburg in 2017, and since then it grew from a small, single kiosk in Bengaluru to three outlets, one in Kozhikode, another in Kochi and there are plans to start shop in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad soon.
Beyondburg's speciality is the use of fresh and better-quality ingredients, which is reflected in their recipes and will make your ghar ka burgers yum too.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Beyondburg Inc
Mango Slaw Chicken Burgers
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the mango slaw:
- 1 medium ripe mango, julienned
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- ½ cup julienned carrots
- ¼ cup chopped green dhaniya or coriander or cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- Black pepper powder to taste, about ½ tsp
For the deep-fried chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs/breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk (please see the note below)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- Oil for deep frying the chicken
For the buffalo sauce:
- ½ cup hot sauce, like American Garden for burgers or Habanero (available online)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Assembly
- 4 burger buns
- Sliced pickles or gherkins, optional
Method
For the slaw:
- In a large bowl, combine the mango, red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, and the cilantro.
- In another bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss.
- Keep aside in the refrigerator while preparing the chicken.
For the deep-fried chicken:
- In a bowl, mix the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper.
Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture, ensuring the pieces are well-coated.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper.
Keep aside.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge and drain from the buttermilk mixture, letting any excess drip off, and dredge each piece in the flour-cornstarch mixture until well-coated.
Press the flour mixture onto the chicken as well, to ensure it adheres.
- In a deep fryer or a large, deep saucepan or kadhai, heat the oil to 350°F (175°C).
Make sure there is enough oil to fully cover the chicken pieces, while frying.
Carefully add the chicken pieces -- it may splatter -- into the hot oil, frying in batches if necessary.
Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F or 74°C measured using a meat thermometer or probe).
- Drain onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
Keep aside.
For the buffalo sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, melted butter, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder until well combined.
Assembly
- Dip each fried chicken thigh into the buffalo sauce, ensuring each is well-coated.
Keep aside.
- Toast the burger buns lightly in a skillet or grill.
Place a piece of the buffalo-sauced chicken on the bottom bun.
Add a generous helping of mango slaw on top of the chicken.
Top with sliced pickles, if preferred, and then place the top half of the bun on top.
- Serve immediately or it will get soggy.
Editor's Note: To make buttermilk combine ¾ cup thick yoghurt with ¼ cup water.
Chef Mohammed Anas, who is Bengaluru based, was on track to a career in aviation management when he began working in his brother's restaurant in Thiruvananthapuram and discovered cooking was his chosen field and worked in several restaurants for two years to gather experience before striking out on his own.