Burger Battle !

You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars. -Charles Kuralt

Well so we love our burgers...as we all know America gave the world a dish that is quick and affordable, thus uniting the masses, and not to forget ...DELICIOUS !

Ok health fanatics will prefer to die with hunger than eat an inviting burger. But to blame the burger is totally unfair. It can be made with fewer calories and still taste great. Heres' my version of the world-famous, chicken burger.

Chicken Burger

Ingredients-
(For two burgers)
500 gm minced chicken (I buy 5 pieces of chicken thighs and mince at home)
1 egg
2 tbsp corn flour
1 cup fresh chives, minced
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Tobasco (I prefer 'red pepper')
1 tsp ginger paste
1tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
a dash of soy sauce
salt to taste
2 cheddar cheese slices
2 sesame topped whole-wheat buns (either home made or store bought)
2 tbsp margarine (instead of butter)
Ketchup

one slice per burger of-
onions
tomatoes (optional)
lettuce (optional)

Method-

In a bowl, add together the minced chicken,lightly beaten egg,cornflour, chives, oregano, salt, pepper, tobasco, soy and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well to form a sticky dough. Add more cornflour if the mixture is too sticky.

Wash your hands and apply ever so lightly a little oil on your palms. Now divide the sticky-dough like, minced chicken mix into two equal parts. Form round patties by rolling in your palms and then slightly flattening it with your fingers.

In a hot skillet, put the margarine and place the chicken patties immediately. Cook on one side for a minute or two and then flip to cook the other side.The patties should turn a golden brown.

Now toast the slices of the buns slightly.

For assembling- place the bottom half of the bun with a cheese slice, then place the onion slice. Put the patty next. Drizzle with ketchup (add the lettuce and/or tomato slice now, if using) and cover with the bun top.

Serve with home-made fries. Bite in....

Now here is some 'food for thought', after you have fed your stomach that is. :p

Tracing history back thousands of years, we learn that even the ancient Egyptians ate ground meat, and down through the ages we also find that ground meat has been shaped into patties and eaten all over the world under many different name. You will be surprised to know that burgers existed (ofcourse not like the way we know them now) even during the 13th century!

1209-1121 - Genghis Khan (1167-1227), crowned the "emperor of all emperors," and his army of fierce Mongol horsemen, known as the "Golden Horde," conquered two thirds of the then known world. The Mongols were a fast-moving, cavalry-based army that rode small sturdy ponies. They stayed in their saddles for long period of time, sometimes days without ever dismounting. They had little opportunity to stop and build a fire for their meal. The entire village would follow behind the army on great wheeled carts they called "yurts," leading huge herds of sheep, goats, oxen, and horses. As the army needed food that could be carried on their mounts and eaten easily with one hand while they rode, ground meat was the perfect choice. They would use scrapings of lamb or mutton which were formed into flat patties. They softened the meat by placing them under the saddles of their horses while riding into battle. When it was time to eat, the meat would be eaten raw, having been tenderized by the saddle and the back of the horse.

1238 - When Genghis Khan's grandson, Khubilai Khan (1215-1294), invaded Moscow, they naturally brought their unique dietary ground meat with them. The Russians adopted it into their own cuisine with the name "Steak Tartare," (Tartars being their name for the Mongols). Over many years, Russian chefs adapted and developed this dish and refining it with chopped onions and raw eggs.