Ingredients

15g (½oz, 2 tbsp) pecan nuts
50g (2oz, ¾ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for sautéing
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
½ red or orange (sweet bell) pepper
225g (8oz) mushrooms
1 mild or hot chilli (optional)
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
½ cup cooked rice (about 35g, 1½oz, 1/3 cup before cooking)
salt & black pepper to taste
2 tbsp potato flakes to help bind (optional)

Method

First, toast and grind the pecan nuts. Cook them in a dry frying pan over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until slightly browned but not burned. Grind in a blender or food processor - it helps to add some of the breadcrumbs to the blender to stop the nuts flying all over the place.

Chop the onion and garlic. Sauté in vegetable stock (or oil if you prefer) until softened and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, chop the pepper and mushrooms. Finely chop the chilli (if using). When the onions are ready, add these other vegetables and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until everything is tender, adding a little water if things start to stick.

Add the hoisin sauce, mix well and continue to cook until the sauce is thick.

Place the vegetable mixture in a blender along with the cooked rice, and pulse a few times to blend things together, leaving some pieces of vegetables whole.

Mix in the toasted, ground pecan nuts and breadcrumbs. Season to taste only if necessary. If the mixture seems a bit sloppy, mix in some potato flakes or instant mashed potato to help bind it. Don't use flour as it won't have time to cook properly.

If possible, leave in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes - it will keep there for a few days. Form into burgers - you can make them quite thin and flat, with smooth edges. To cook them, fry or bake. Be careful when turning them not to disturb the browned crust.