Oatmeal Patties

Vegetarian oatmeal patties, with cheese, carrots, and lots of spices, these curried patties are perfect served with a yogurt dip or in a burger bun.

These hearty oatmeal patties are made with simple ingredients, which you probably already have in your pantry and fridge. Vegeatrian patties with oats, carrots and cheese, easy to make, and completely satisfying.

It is not that I don’t like a good meat burger, but it is not my favorite kind of meal either… Although I like meat, I have to say that when it comes to burgers I almost always prefer a vegetarian patty.

Either made with beans, chickpeas, pure vegetables or in this case a vegetarian patty made with oats, carrots and cheese. Or you can give me falafels and vegetable fritters of any kind, I would probably always choose those over meat. And again, that although I am a carnivore.

So, when it comes to vegetarian burgers, I am not even trying to mimic meat, I love a good vegetarian patty exactly for what it is: a vegetable and grains/beans packed patty, which can be served either as it is or in a burger bun topped with other typical burger ingredients.

I make vegetarian patties all the times, not only to serve in a typical burger bun, but mostly to eat in a wrap, on regular rye bread, with sauce or with a dip and a salad on the side.

If you give me something like these vegetable and chickpea meatballs or these broccoli cauliflower meatballs, you are sure to make me happy.

Ingredients

Oats:

• There are different kinds of oats out there: steel-cut oats also known as pinhead oats or coarse oatmeal and rolled oats, which can be thick or thin and which, depending on the sort, have shorter or longer cooking times.
• To make this recipe you will need rolled oats.

Vegetables:

• I used carrots and onions to make these curried patties.

Can I use other veggies?

• You can choose other root vegetables, if you like. Why not try some flavorful parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets or experiment with some rutabaga?
• White onions can be replaced with red onions, shallots or finely sliced green onions.

Cheese:

• To make the patties vegetarian, you will have to use some vegetarian cheese.

What is vegetarian cheese?

• Vegetarian cheese is cheese made with vegetarian rennet.
• Rennet is a byproduct of veal production, an enzyme found in the stomach of a calf, an enzyme that helps baby cows digest milk.
• It is necessary when making cheese because it separates milk into solid curds and liquid whey. It is used in the production of most cheeses.

However, there are vegetarian alternatives to animal rennet:

• Vegetarian rennet is enzymes coming from plants like fig leaves, melons or safflower.
• Microbial rennet is enzymes collected from fungi and bacteria, which are then fermented.
• Genetically engineered rennet or fermentation produced chymosin is “made by taking a gene out of a calves’ DNA, then putting it into the DNA of yeast, mold, or bacteria. “
• This is the type of rennet most used to make cheese in the USA.
• So, make sure you choose vegetarian cheese to make them (of course unless you are not vegetarian and it doesn’t matter to you what kind of rennet is used to make the cheese).

Is Gouda cheese vegetarian?

• Gouda cheese is traditionally made with animal rennet, but finding a vegetarian sort should be very easy.
• If Gouda is unavailable, other kinds of similar cheese can be used instead. Why not try Cheddar, Emmental, or even hard cheese. The vegetarian kinds, of course.

Spices and herbs:

• These oatmeal patties are super flavorful due to the addition of lots of spices and herbs.

You will need:

• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander
• Turmeric
• Garlic powder
• Fresh (or frozen) parsley
• Fresh (or frozen) chives
• Don’t use dried parsley or chives, unlike other dried herbs, they are completely tasteless in dried form.

Steps

• Finely chop the onion and cook them in a little olive oil until translucent.
• Add the grated carrots and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
• Add the oats. Stir well for about 3 minutes.
• Add the hot vegetable broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes.

• In the meantime, grate the cheese and chop the herbs.
• Add them to the oatmeal mixture together with the lightly beaten eggs, spices, herbs and flour.
• Form the patties by taking portions out of the mixture and pressing them into patties. You will have about 12-14 vegetarian patties.

• Heat the oil in large non stick frying pan or skillet.
• Fry the vegetarian patties in two batches, on medium heat, for about 7-8 minutes, turning the curried patties 3-4 times in between.
• If they start browning too much too soon, reduce the heat slightly.

How to serve?

• Serve hot or at room temperature.
• They keep well for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• You can also reheat them in the oven.

Serve the vegetarian patties with yogurt dip, salad, steamed or stir-fried vegetables.

Burgers:

• These are still patties, even if vegetarian, so you can definitely build a burger:
• Split and toast the burger buns.
• Spread a mixture or ketchup and mustard (or chili/hot sauce) on the bottom side of the bun.
• Place a patty on top.
• Top with sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions, sliced gherkins and a lettuce leaf.
• Spread some mayonnaise on the other bun half.
• Place on top of the burger.

Wraps:

• Smear a wrap/tortilla/flatbread with some cream cheese/ thick Greek yogurt/ sour cream and (sweet) chili sauce to taste.
• Place some lettuce leaves on top.
• Add the broken patties.
• Add other toppings to taste: sliced tomatoes and bell peppers, cubed avocado, sliced onions, sliced olives, crumbled feta, grated cheese etc. Whatever you like!
• Roll the tortilla and serve.

More patties and fritters

Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Fritters

Potato Pancakes or Fritters

Baked Cauliflower Potato Patties

Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes

Chicken Fritters