Spicy Turkey Burgers with Minty Yogurt Sauce

These spicy burgers can be made with ground turkey breast rather than ground turkey thigh for those who prefer a lower fat option. While Moroccan mint green tea is used for this recipe, any fresh organic mint green tea will suffice.

Sauce

1 Tbsp (15 mL) Moroccan mint green tea leaves
1 cup (250 mL) reduced-fat yogurt
1/3 cup (80 mL) dried currants
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh mint

Burgers

2 tsp (10 mL) extra-virgin olive or camelina oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp (15 mL) garam masala
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon 
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 lb (450 g) ground free-range turkey thigh
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat bread crumbs
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely crushed pistachios
Pepper, to taste
1 small free-range egg, beaten

For sauce, grind tea leaves in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Mix all sauce ingredients together in medium bowl and set aside to allow flavours to blend while you prepare burgers.

For burgers, heat skillet over medium heat and add oil, swirling it around to coat bottom of pan. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden. Add spices and garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until soft.

Place mixture in large bowl and cool. Add ground turkey, bread crumbs, carrot, and pistachios and mix well. Season with pepper and add egg, mixing with hands to bind mixture together. Form 4 uniform burger patties.

Heat skillet and cook burgers on both sides until thoroughly cooked through. Serve burgers on toasted whole grain buns or stuffed in warmed pita halves and dollop generously with sauce. Alternatively, serve burgers and sauce with basmati rice or quinoa.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 438 calories; 30 g protein; 18 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 39 g carbohydrates (16 g sugars, 4 g fibre); 373 mg sodium

source: "Cooking With Tea", alive #368, June 2013