Jaffna Lamb Burger

Everyone loves a loaded burger; difficult to get in your mouth, makes an absolute mess but leaves you feeling oh so satisfied. This is my version and it is packed with a juicy, aromatic lamb patty, topped with a meaty, spicy mutton curry and finished with raita and a tomato and red onion sambal. Hefty.

Time to create: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Burger

  • Garlic cloves - 4 (peeled)

  • Ginger - 1 inch (peeled)

  • Black peppercorns - 1 tsp

  • Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

  • Curry leaves - 10 (torn into small pieces)

  • Brown onion - 1 (finely diced)

  • Turmeric - ¼ tsp

  • Roasted Sri Lankan Curry Powder - 1 tbsp

  • Minced lamb - 500g

  • Brioche Buns

Jaffna Mutton Curry

  • See recipe

Tomato and Red Onion Sambal

  • Red onion - 1 (thinly sliced)

  • Vine ripened tomatoes - 3 - thinly sliced

  • Curry leaves - 10 (torn into quarters)

  • Green chilli (optional) - 2 (thinly sliced)

  • Lemon - Juice from 1

  • Salt - 1 tps

  • Black pepper 

Raita

  • Green chilli (optional) - 2 (thinly sliced)

  • Curry leaves - 10 (chopped)

  • Mint leaves - 10 - chopped

  • Red onion - 1 (finely diced)

  • Yoghurt - 200g

  • Salt - a good pinch

  • Black pepper - a few cracks

Method

  1. Make the mutton curry first (if you haven’t already).

  2. Add the garlic and ginger to a pestle and mortar. Pound to a paste, then add the black peppercorns, 1 tsp salt, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Grind and pound to a paste.

  3. Add the paste, brown onion, turmeric, curry powder and minced lamb to a bowl and mix well with your hands. Portion the mince into 150g portions, then shape into patties.

  4. Chill for 15 minutes.

  5. Make the sambal by combining the red onion, tomatoes, curry leaves, chillies, lemon juice, a good pinch of salt and a hefty few cracks of black pepper. Mix well.

  6. Make the raita by combining all of the ingredients and mixing well.

  7. Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat or preheat your barbecue to 200°C. Once hot, place the burgers in the pan and cook until nicely seared on one side, then flip and sear on the other. Keep flipping until they reach an internal temperature of 65°C.

  8. Toast your brioche buns under the grill, in a pan or on the barbecue, then build your burgers.

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