Memories don’t follow any time-table. They come and remind themselves whenever they want to. From my childhood memory which is so distant to a not so far memory. One day Didi had to come to the house and we had time in serving the dinner, so we were chatting in the kitchen – where we are found in all our family gatherings.
Didi loved to talk about food, kya banaya hai, kaise banaya hai and ask the recipe like someone who is just learning the ropes of cooking when she was an expert at it herself. Don’t remember our whole conversation (as much as I would want to) but remember a cute discussion. She asked me about the burger I had made when Kaaveri, her daughter, had visited us the last time. She asked me how I had made it as Kaaveri really enjoyed having it. She was surprised to hear that it was our brother’s (Pawan) recipe. ‘Bhaia sab kuch banal leta hai” and she was so surprised.
When we were kids, didi use to pamper us with a lot of her very interesting recipes. She use to cook new and delicious dishes so often. She was particularly fond of making things for bhaia. Bhai (I refer to him more like this) use to play many sports for long hours and hence you can understand use to feel hungry also more than all of us. He still actually loves his sports – cycling is what he is very regular even now. Going for treks and water sports is something he keeps on planning now and then. Must say he is the most fit person in the family. Oh ho again these memories take you from one era to another, from one person to another, from one season to another in sometimes in a matter of few words only and before one realises we are talking of another world.
Getting back to didi cooking delicious things for us when we were babies actually. Bhai loves his food but hates it when someone asks him khao na and he will not eat. Just leave food in front of him and he eat it all while chatting with you. Ofcourse the health conscious that he is, it shouldn’t be fried. Oh I was telling you about didi and bhaia’s bond. She was the only one he would go to when he was hungry at odd hours – didi bhook lagi hai (didi I am hungry) and didi would go downstairs to the kitchen and churn out a very interesting dish for him. Maybe didi was fond of cooking but her connection with cooking started with making food for her siblings specially her brother.
So, when I told her that the burger’s recipe was Bhaia’s recipe, she was surprised or rather shocked that her lil brother was now making such delicious food for himself.
My kids, Diya and Hrishita, are also so close to bhaia to him and share a very special bond with him. They sometimes call him Uncle P and tease him by calling him Mama G.
I have loved this recipe myself so much and I make it very often for my kids. So naming the recipe after the creator himself.
Uncle P’s Burger
- Chicken mince, 750 gms
- Beans, sliced very thin, 100 gms
- Carrots, chopped in fine pieces, 100 gms
- Capsicum, chopped in fine pieces, 1 pc
- Beetroot
- Garlic, finely chopped – 2-3 cloves
- Fresh Coriander, finely chopped – to your liking
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, freshly ground
- Oregano herb or any herb of your choice
- Buns, Whole wheat buns
- Sauces of your choice
- Cheese slices
Method:
Mix all ingredients very well. Heat your tawa with very little oil spread evenly throughout, Then shape the chicken mixture into large (diameter should be as much as the buns) and thick tikkis. Fry them on low heat on the tawa. It will take a little while in getting ready as they big tikkis. Press them with your wooden spatula to cook them well. When these are ready, take another griddle plate, warm a sliced bun, when done, put a cheese slice and one tikki on it and cook for a while. When the cheese is softened and is looking to start melting, serve it hot. Serve the sauces separately. One can have it with any sauce or it is just divine as it is. It is so juicy and tasty, then you need to make it and have it to judge it for yourself!!!
Its midnight and I am already craving for it!!!
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