Curried Eggplant Turkey Burgers with Mango Raita

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 lb)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion, plus 4 slices for garnish
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet yellow curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns
• 4 to 8 spinach leaves
• 4 slices tomato

MANGO RAITA

• 1/2 cup finely diced fresh mango
• 3 oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, add eggplant and mist all over with cooking spray. Roast for 50 minutes, turning once, until eggplant is very soft and beginning to collapse. Set aside to cool at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 1 hour.
2. Once eggplant is cool, halve it lengthwise and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Remove any large clusters of seeds (a few remaining seeds are OK) and coarsely chop flesh. (It should resemble a chunky purée.) Transfer eggplant to a colander over the sink and press on it with a clean dish towel or paper towel, removing as much liquid as possible. (This can be done a day ahead of time; store eggplant, covered, in refrigerator until ready to use.)
3. Prepare mango raita: In a small bowl, stir together mango, yogurt, mint, honey and coriander. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. In a large bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, salt, curry powder, cumin and cayenne. Add eggplant and combine thoroughly.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties, about 1 inch thick each. Add patties to skillet and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until no longer pink in center.
6. Place patties between hamburger buns and add lettuce, tomato, onion slices and mango raita to each, dividing evenly.

Nutrients per serving (1 burger, 1 whole-wheat bun, 2 leaves spinach, 1 slice tomato, 2 tbsp raita): Calories: 330, Total Fat: 4 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 39 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 35 g, Sodium: 538 mg, Cholesterol: 55 mg

Nutritional Bonus: Raita is a yogurt-based sauce or dip, traditionally used in Pakistan or India. Our raita uses nonfat Greek yogurt, for that same hit of calcium without all the fat.

TIP:
It’s easier to grate ginger when it’s ice cold, so store your peeled fresh ginger in a freezer-safe plastic bag in the freezer. Use a rasp to grate your ginger immediately, before it begins to thaw.

Do you prefer ketchup to other sauces? We’ve got you covered with this clean, homemade version.