A good homemade juicy burger is always so much better than the store-bought variety and the best part is that one always has control over the raw material used, so the homemade burger can’t be clubbed as junk food.

Classic Cheese Burger

Like most fast — and junk — food, the cheese burger originated in the States and has been the fastest selling “fast food” in the world ever since. Lots of up-market delis and restaurants offer variations of the cheese burger with more healthy breads, steak instead of mincemeat etc, but a burger made at home is infinitely more satisfying.

Ingredients
500 gm fresh chicken or mutton mince
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
½ onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt; 1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Oil for grilling
Burger buns; Lettuce leaves
Onion slices; English mustard

Method
Mix the mince, cheese, eggs, ginger-garlic paste, salt, white pepper and Worcestershire sauce thoroughly in a bowl and refrigerate covered for two hours.
Form the meat into rough patties with wet hands. Grill the patties for around 15 minutes till done. Slice the burger buns in half and lightly toast them over the barbecue or on a skillet. Place the patties in between the buns, add a dash of mustard and top with lettuce leaves and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Alu Tikki Burger
Traditionally eaten as a chaat, an alu tikki makes a great burger filling and is far more satisfying than a vada pao.

Ingredients
5 medium-sized potatoes, washed thoroughly
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp black pepper
1 small bunch coriander leaves, chopped
6 tbsp bread crumbs
6 tbsp vegetable oil
Burger buns
Tomato ketchup

Method
Boil the potatoes till tender for about 15-20 minutes and peel them after they cool. In a large bowl, add the potatoes, salt, garam masala, coriander powder, black pepper and coriander leaves and knead with hands thoroughly ensuring no lumps are left.
Take a handful of the potato mixture and shape into a ball and flatten it from the top so the resultant tikki is around 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Repeat with all the tikkis. Roll each tikki lightly on the bread crumbs. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and fry the tikkis till they are golden brown on each side. Lightly toast the burger buns on the inside and place the tikkis inside with a dollop of ketchup. Serve immediately.

Secret of French Fries

One might wonder what can be written about French fries that is not already known. It is the simplest snack to make — slice potatoes, fry and eat — and the results are usually the same if you don’t burn them. The most important ingredient which is the difference between a good plate of fries and a great one is the oil. Also remember that a classic French fry is fried twice, once a couple of hours before serving and once just before serving. This way the fries will always be crisp and never soggy.

Ingredients
500 gm big potatoes
Sunflower oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Method
Fill a bowl with cold water. Place the potatoes in the water as you peel them. Cut the peeled potatoes in half, lengthwise. Place each half flat-side down and slice into half-inch thick pieces. Stack these slices on top of each other, and cut the potatoes again lengthwise. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes to release some of the starch and to keep the potatoes from darkening. Drain potatoes in a colander and blot dry with a clean cloth dishtowel. Paper towels stick to the potatoes.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer. Gently lower the fries in the oil, one batch at a time. Fry the potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to dry them. When ready to serve, fry the potatoes again for about 3-5 minutes till they are golden brown. Remove, drain, sprinkle salt and serve with ketchup.