Ingredients
12 baby Indian eggplants, sliced into ½" planks
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 carrot, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 beet, peeled and diced
2 small red radishes, diced
1 c. chopped cauliflower
1 tsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. gochugaru or crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. cooked black beans
3 oz. yellow cheddar, sliced
Sliced avocado, for serving
Ketchup, for serving
Pickles, for serving
Baked fries, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Make the buns: place sliced eggplants on a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of cut eggplant with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Pat dry.Step 2Meanwhile, make patties: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add carrots, onion, potato, beet, radish, cauliflower and cook until vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add steak seasoning, gochugaru, pepper, and season with salt. Remove from heat and let cool.Step 3Transfer cooled vegetables to a food processor and pulse until lentil-sized pieces form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add in black beans, using your clean hand or a wooden spoon to partially mash beans until mixture is cohesive. Portion and shape into 12 patties to fit your eggplant “buns.“Step 4Cook the buns: Return skillet to medium heat and heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add in a single layer of eggplant slices, making sure not to overcrowd the pan or overlap the pieces. Cook, flipping as needed, until edges are golden and centers begin to turn slightly translucent. Transfer to baking sheet, and repeat with remaining eggplant, adding more oil as necessary.Step 5Cook the patties: Return skillet to medium heat and heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add in a single layer of patties, making sure not to overcrowd the pan or overlap the pieces. Cook until both sides are golden, flipping gently as needed, topping each patty with a small slice of cheddar in the last minute of cooking. Repeat with remaining patties.Step 6Assemble the sliders: Top one eggplant “bun” with a patty, a thin slice of avocado, ketchup, and pickles. Close slider with one more eggplant bun.
It was a no-brainer, then, that when I looked over to my batch of baby eggplants, I thought “BUNS.” Makinze had developed a super flavorful Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant and I took inspiration from that recipe to give these buns a slightly charred “toasting” in a lightly-oiled pan. To ensure you don’t have any trouble sinking your teeth into your buns, I recommend slicing off the purple peel off the ends of the eggplant to avoid a rubbery exterior. Those ends are delicious and wonderfully textured when chopped, though, so be sure to save them and toss them into your patty mixture stir-fry. To maximize tenderness, I call for sprinkling salt onto the sliced eggplants and letting that sink in and draw out moisture for 30 minutes. If you’re indeed using baby eggplants, this might not be a crucial step if you’re short on time, but this process not only softens the eggplant but also seasons it. If you do this step first before prepping your other veggies, that timing might just work out perfectly anyway. As for how these taste? I mean…they’re not a cheeseburger. They have cheese (if you want; if you’re vegan, just leave out the cheddar!) but they are obviously made of vegetables and not moo-meat. If you can adjust your expectations accordingly, I think these are simply lovely.
