Last weekend Brett and I ate at Babu Ji
in New York City. If there is a way to
be killed by curry—and die happily—their tasting menu is it. If you would like your death to include beer,
there is the possibility of that too.
Be advised if you do select the beer
pairing option, which features your server swiping a new bottle out of the beer
fridge every two or three courses, your demise will come swiftly.
When you have thirteen items to try—some
which could be considered entrée portions in a more buttoned up establishment—the
scene becomes reminiscent of a highbrow fraternity team-building exercise. Like a gaggle of soon-to-be
twenty-somethings with small collegiate beer guts working together to take down
as many cases as possible, cheering through suds and yeasty burps to victory. At Babu Ji the staff egg you on.
The contestant will finish his fried cardamom yogurt croquette in a fuchsia beet sauce and the Pork Slap pale ale, only to be
greeted by a version of Colonel Tso’s with the rubbery chicken brilliantly swapped
out for cauliflower, plus a crisp IPA. The
reward for finishing this is a mutiny of curry and Victory Prima pilsner.
The tasting feels relentless by the
time you reach the kulfi.
And this was only one of many
outstanding and subversive meals we ate over the weekend. (The counter service
at Russ & Daughters Cafe, with a punctuation of tahini ice cream, was another
high point.)
Upon returning to Boston I needed
restorative dinners that could hold up to the food we recently tasted. One night this included a sheet pan of Aleppo
carrots and a life changing carbonara from Tasting Rome, which I hope to write about soon.
Another evening featured the white bean
burgers seen before you and some roasted zucchini (that did not make the camera
snap). The splendor of these burgers—I
have made them many times—is that they work with a variety of pulses. (I would be remiss not to mention my
preference for dried beans here, but do not let this stop you.) I should have
featured them sooner, but bean burgers are not exactly beauty queens in the
looks department.
Unlike many other vegetable
patties, they hold their shape during the pan flip and resist collapsing into
the bun. They will take more spice and
seasoning, should you push them, and do not apologize for a lack of beef. And they are made for toppings.
With darker colored beans, like black
or even the pinto, blue cheese dressing, red onion, and ketchup is a preferred selection.
For the white bean version, avocado slices and a take on this yogurt sauce are recommended.
A little barbeque would not be a misstep, either. But I sense this is really only the beginning
for a burger like this.
At Babu Ji there is an image of a
white-haired Indian man with crooked aviator sunglasses and an aggressive
mustache that extends out in a bushy cloud a couple inches from his face spanning
east to west. He is featured on their
wall and website and the vibe he offers is one of adventure and of not
taking any shit. He does not promise things will go easily, either.
It is very New York.
These burgers are sort of like that. Born
out of necessity but not limited by it. Beautiful in their own way. And with a little inspired thinking, their
possibilities seem endless.
Spiced
White Bean Burgers
Ingredients:
5 (2 oz) hamburger buns (I use brioche
buns)
2 cups white beans (previously cooked
or canned), divided
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 serrano pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp minced cilantro (about 10
sprigs)
½ tsp kosher salt
1 large egg
Instructions:
Place one 2-ounce bun in a food processor
and pulse until it turns into crumbs; transfer to a large bowl. In the food processor, add 1½ cups of the
beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, cumin, and chili powder and pulse until the
mixture becomes a thick paste.
In the bowl with the breadcrumbs, mix
in the shallot, pepper, cilantro, and salt.
Add in the remaining ½ cup beans, bean paste, and egg and stir until it
becomes a cohesive mixture.
Divide into four equal portions,
shaping each into a patty.
Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add
remaining oil. Add patties to the pan,
pressing them down slightly. (Depending on the size of your pan, this may need
to be done in two batches.)
Cook about four minutes or until the
bottoms are brown. Flip and cook three
to four minutes more or until the patties are cooked throughout.
Place each patty on a bun and top with
choice condiments (recommended: avocado, this sauce, and barbeque).
Serves
four
Notes:
-The patties can be made a little in
advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use.
