Burgers and French Open

click on the pic to enlarge :)

Last weekend we were watching the two ladies fight it out on the courts, Sharapova the glamorous and Schnyder the demure, yet strong!

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It looked as if Schnyder would take away the match and it was just the fourth round! Papa Yuri was busy biting his nails, this is when the game turned around. There being no tie-breaker in the final set at the French Open, the ladies fought it out till the end and Sharapova did emerge the winner. She has some power, under all that 'i feel pretty'.
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Well, as far back as I can remember, I always loved watching Tennis. I remember, back home we as a family always loved to watch the grand slams. We used to be glued to the TV and would follow the games diligently, blissfully oblivious to the fact it might have been a recorded telecast! But we sure did enjoy it and so grew my love for the game.
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It was a dream come true to watch US Open at the Arthur Ashe stadium in NY for the first time when I came to this country. Waiting in line outside the stadium, ready to be ushered in as soon as the morning session got over, I just could not contain myself for those few minutes. Soon the gates opened and I was admiring everything wide eyed! There were numerous stores who had put up shop there and we just browsed around for a while & bought a few keepsakes :) Walking around, we saw the side courts and looked at the game schedules.

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Finally we entered the Arthur Ashe stadium, I was like a kid in a candy store, totally mesmerised & blown away. It is one of my most memorable experiences, had so much fun that we went back again the next day!!! Also got to watch a game at Louis Armstrong Stadium, it being the older of the two. The stadium experience is totally awesome, one not to be missed, specially if you are a tennis fan. The feel is totally different from what one experience's on TV. Getting to watch the real game, no biased commentary or unnecessary remarks! It's fun to make your own judgements about the game and it is your view point, not someone else's :)

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It's a given that it usually rains the weekend of the games, and that year it was no different! The officials had to reschedule many matches and that meant big names playing on the side courts :) That year I got to watch Kim Clisters, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Safin and many more. It's going to be wonderful watching my favorite player, the smooth & unbeatable Federer, in action this time around :) Boy! is he good, or is he good!!!!! He is one classy player! !
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Moral of the story?
Burgers make a good meal while watching tennis :)

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I had my eye on Nandita's bulghur burgers, not having any bulghur on hand I opted for black eye beans patties.
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Here is how I made them.
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Black eye Beans/Lobia/Chavli Patties

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1 cup lobia
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 bread slices
2 green chili chopped
salt, chili powder, garam masala, amchur, roasted cumin seed powder
2 tbsp rava/sooji/semolina
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1. Soak lobia for 2 hrs.
2. Pressure cook till done. I pressure cooked it for 3 whistles. Cool and drain.
3. Mash drained lobia. Add onion, masala powders, garlic, coriander leaves & bread which is dipped in water & squeezed.
4. Divide the dough into equal sizes, make into balls and then flatten to get patties.
5. Heat a griddle, spray some oil. Dip the patties in a plate of rava and arrange over the griddle. The rava is to coat it very lightly, do not make a thick coating out of it.
6. Shallow fry one side, flip and do the same for the other side.
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In the meanwhile get the condiments ready. The burgers tend to be a little dry, so I used two kinds of chutney to slather on the bread.
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I made Mint/pudina chutney.

Here is the recipe of pudina chutney as made in a punjabi household.

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Blend 1 bunch mint with
2 tbsp coriander leaves,
2 green chili,
1/2 red onion,
1 clove garlic (optional),
roasted cumin seeds,
salt,
anardana powder(can substitute with lemon juice),
1/4 tsp sugar
Adjust seasoning & spices as per taste. It tastes YUM!
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I usually make red bell pepper aioli, this time I tried Trupti's recipe for red bell pepper dip with a slight change based on my pantry items.
Blend 1 cup roasted bell pepper, 1/2 cup curds, salt, pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 onion, 1tbsp lemon juice and red chili flakes.
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Chop cabbage, onion, tomato & cucumber to serve with the burger.
I buttered the bread and also had my favorite cheese wedges handy.
You can choose your combination of condiments and salad as per taste.
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I has some dough leftover and made these cutlets the next day. I shaped the dough into oblong shape like fingerlings, rolled them in cornflour & deep fried them. Served with ketchup :)

Many Thanks to Nandita & Trupti for the ideas :)

This is my contribution to Coffee's MBP-Going Lite.

This would also make one spicy breakfast, I would also like to send this over to Trupti for WBB-Spice it up!