Home made Tofu Burgers (Makes 6-10 patties depending on size) Recipe adapted from The Little Teochew

Tofu Patties: 480 g firm tofu (tau kwa)

1 yellow onion, sliced finely 1 sprig coriander (leaves only), sliced finely 4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced very, very finely 1 red chilli (deseeded), sliced very finely 1/3 cup sharp cheddar or parmesan, grated (add more if desired or omit for Vegans) Pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper Pinch of pepper Pinch of salt (taste test as you go because sharp cheeses can be very salty) 1 cup breadcrumbs (I toasted 5 slices of bread and blitzed them in a food processor) 1-2 tsp sesame oil 6 - 8 tbsp of water (add enough so that pattie holds well together and does not fall apart) Vegetable oil for frying

For serving: Burger buns (number depends on number of patties) Butterhead lettuce or baby romaine leaves Tomato slices Condiments of your choice - mustard, relish, ketchup

Method

Mash tofu till crumbly. Add chopped onions, coriander, kaffir lime leaves, chilli, cheese, breadcrumbs and paprika. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper and sesame oil. Do a taste test to determine if more seasoning is needed. Add 6 tbsp of water to the mixture till it resembles fine wet sand. Shape mixture into patties, and flatten them gently using your palms. If the patties do not hold together, add a little more water. It is important to flatten the patties as much as possible so that they brown evenly on the pan. In a frying pan, under a small-medium flame, heat the vegetable oil. The oil/pan must hot be too hot because the bread crumbs in the patty will burn. Fry the patties till crisp and golden brown on both sides. Slice your burger buns horizontally and lightly butter both halves. Place some lettuce leaves on top of the bun, followed by the tofu patty, and then with tomato slices. Then cover it with the top half of the bun, and you are ready to dig in!