No longer just a side dish, it’s time for rice to take centre stage on your plate. Start with these rice and red kidney bean burgers!

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the rice and red kidney bean burgers
1 tin red kidney beans, drained
¾ cup cooked brown rice
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
For the cucumber-garlic yoghurt
1 cup yoghurt
½ cucumber, grated and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
To serve
6 seeded brown rolls, halved and toasted
Handful baby spinach
2 carrots, ribboned
½ red cabbage, thinly sliced

METHOD
For the rice and red kidney bean burgers
1. Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor until well combined.
2. Shape the mixture into 2 cm-thick patties. Rest on a baking tray
For the cucumber-garlic yoghurt
1. Combine all the ingredients and set aside.
2. Preheat a pan with olive or coconut oil. Once hot, add your patties and gently fry for 10–12 minutes until heated through.
To serve
1. Toast your bread rolls. Spread on the yoghurt, then top with a burger patty, baby spinach, carrot ribbons and red cabbage.

Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

The best part about rice? There are so many different kinds you can use and all with varying benefits. We used basmati rice for this whole roast butternut with vegetarian stuffing.