Masala Burger and Baked Garlic Fries

Have you ever wondered how cool it would be to eat kebabs in a bun! Well I have , and last week I was all set to cook at my fiancees house when a light bulb lit up in the white cloud hovering above my head. What if I could cook up a hearty burger with all the goodness of spicy kebabs! Of course no dish of meat in a bun can go without a side of fries. But hey , what if the fries were not really fries but only look and taste like fries! read on....

Ingredients:

For Masala Burger:
Minced red meat (Lamb or Beef) 1.5 lbs
Potato 1 (peeled, boiled or microwaved and mashed)
Large egg 1 whole
Chili powder 2 tbl spoons
Cumin 2 tbl spoons
Turmeric 1/2 tbl spoon
Garam Masala 1/4 tbl spoon
Salt 2 tbl spoons
Black pepper 1/2 tbl spoon
Rum (a dash /optional)

For Baked Garlic Fries:
Medium Potatoes 4
Garlic powder 2 tbl spoons (don't be afraid of garlic my friend)
Salt 1 tbl spoons
Pepper 0.5 tbl spoon
Oregano 0.5 tbl spoon

Method - Masala Burger (Serves four):
1) Take the meat in a large bowl and add the red chili powder, cumin, black pepper , salt ,
egg , mashed potato, turmeric and if you are crazy enough, a dash of rum.
2) Mix well the goop in your bowl and let it stand for 20 Min's.
3) In the mean time heat a pan on medium high (no oil is required since the meat will cook in its own juices.)
4) Gouge out a ball of meat from the goop and roll it smooth with your hands then flatten it to resemble a burger. The mixed-in egg and mashed potato is supposed to keep it from breaking apart.
5)Then slap on the burger on your pan and cook on it on one side for about 8 Min's till the side becomes dark brown , then flip the burger and cook the other side for 5 Min's.
6) Once the burger is done, transfer it to a plate covered with a paper napkin which will soak the fat on the surface of the burger.
7) Take a moment to look at your creation and admire it.
8) Server the burger between two slices of your favorite bread ( In my case it was buttermilk bran) and garnish it with mint chutney and a slice of onion and tomato.

Method - Garlic Fries (Serves four):
1) Peel four mid-sized potatoes and cut them
up in the shape of fries. ( you don't have to be exact)
2) Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and sprinkle salt, pepper , garlic powder and oregano liberally on the top.
3) Then give the bowl a few tosses to coat the potatoes uniformly with the seasonings.
4) Cover a baking pan with aluminium foil and spray cooking oil on the foil to make it non-stick. (if you don't have spray you can dab a paper napkin in oil and then rub the foil with the napkin gently to form a light coat.)
5) spread the fries evenly on the pan and toss the pan in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Now there you have it . If you think that is complicated , you are more than welcome to go to McDonald's and feed on some gourmet saturated fat.

P.S: Special mention of thanks to Mana and Sayan for admiring and devouring my dish.
Pic courtesy of S Dasgupta.