Tandoori Turkey Burger with Apricot Chutney Mayonnaise

The other day I made a batch of apricot chutney and thought that it would be really nice on a tandoori
chicken burger. Of course, I only had ground turkey, but I did have some garlic naan bread in the freezer, so I used that instead of burger buns. Why not?!

Going with what I had to use the burgers had baby spinach instead of lettuce (last handful), roasted red pepper instead of tomato (no tomatoes, but lots of peppers) and caramelized onion instead of fresh (leftovers from another meal).

I used soft goat cheese, which added creaminess and tanginess; I find that it is a good choice with Indian spices.

As tandoori chicken is marinated with spices and yoghurt, I decided to use yoghurt instead of egg in the burger patty. These were nice and moist, and full of flavour.


Combine:

2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons tandoori masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain Greek yoghurt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

Add:

1 pound ground turkey thigh

Mix until well combined with the breadcrumbs and spices.




Divide the mixture into 4, and form into patties. If you are not planning on grilling immediately, wrap and keep the patties refrigerated. As I was only cooking for 2 people, I froze the 2 extra patties for another meal.

To cook the burgers, lightly rub both sides with olive oil, and grill on a well oiled grill.

When the burgers are almost fully cooked, add a piece of naan bread per burger to the grill to heat up.





While the burgers are grilling, gather the rest of the burger garnishes:

Fresh baby spinach
Roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
Caramelized onion
Crumbled soft goat cheese
Apricot chutney mayonnaise

To make the apricot chutney mayonnaise, combine equal amounts of mayonnaise and apricot chutney. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spread each warm naan bread with the chutney mayonnaise.

Add a handful of spinach to one side of the bread.

Add the cooked turkey burger, and top it with roasted red pepper.

Next up, a layer of crumbled goat cheese...

...and finally a generous helping of caramelized onions.







Serve the burger open faced and allow people to fold the naan bread over, or fold it over and serve it ready to go. Either way, this is a delicious, spicy, sweet, tangy burger that will satisfy anyone's hunger.

• Use ground chicken, beef, pork or lamb if you wish to. You can also use chicken breast, marinated in the yoghurt and spices and either omit the breadcrumbs and grill the chicken, or use breadcrumbs as a crust and pan fry / bake the chicken.
• To freeze extra patties, layer each one with a square of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other. Wrap well, place into a container or freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to use them.
• Other breads such as burger buns, different flatbreads or even no bread at all can be used instead of Naan bread.
• Use plain mayonnaise and add chutney instead of combining the two. You could also make a cucumber raita to add to the burger. Do this by mixing together plain Greek yoghurt, finely diced cucumber, chopped fresh mint and green onions and cumin (ground or seeds). Season with salt, pepper and a bit of lemon juice.
• Add fresh tomatoes, crispy chick peas or grilled paneer instead of goat cheese(see the post
  
  Paneer and Red Pepper Kebabs with Turmeric and Green Pea Rice).