Sri Lankan Black Pepper Beef Burger with Tomato-Chile Sambal

About This Recipe

Sri Lankan black pepper beef, known as gan mas peppered curry in some households, is a genuine, well-loved dish built around a heavy, deliberate use of black pepper along with roasted curry powder and cinnamon. This burger takes that pepper-forward spicing and works it directly into a ground beef patty, topped with a fresh tomato and chile sambal, a common Sri Lankan table condiment, rather than more Western-style burger toppings. The patty is seasoned generously with freshly cracked black pepper, roasted curry powder and a little cinnamon, echoing the warm, peppery depth of a proper Sri Lankan pepper beef curry, then grilled hot and fast to develop a real char on the outside. The tomato sambal, made by finely chopping tomato with green chile, onion and a squeeze of lime, is a fresh, common accompaniment across Sri Lankan meals, cutting through the richness and heat of the peppery beef with genuine acidity. Together, the burger stays close to real Sri Lankan flavors even in a distinctly non-traditional format.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gground beef
• 2 tspfreshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsproasted curry powder
• 0.25 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 2tomatoes(finely diced)
• 0.5red onion(finely diced)
• 1green chile(minced)
• 1.5 tbsplime juice
• 2 tbspfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 4burger buns
• 1 cupshredded lettuce

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the beef

   Combine ground beef, black pepper, roasted curry powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Mix gently and shape into 4 patties.

2. 2

   Make the tomato sambal

   Combine diced tomato, red onion, green chile, lime juice, cilantro and a pinch of salt. Let sit 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.

3. 3

   Grill the patties

   Grill or pan-sear the patties over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until well charred and cooked to your preferred doneness.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Layer shredded lettuce on the buns, top with a patty and a generous spoonful of tomato sambal, then close with the top bun.

Variations

• •

  Traditional curry format: simmer the seasoned beef with onion, curry leaves and coconut milk instead of grilling patties, for a closer approximation to classic Sri Lankan pepper beef curry.

• •

  Extra heat: increase the black pepper or add extra minced chile to the sambal for more heat.

• •

  Cheese addition: add a slice of sharp cheddar for a richer, though less traditional, burger.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties and sambal separately up to 3 days. Reheat patties gently in a skillet; the sambal is best made fresh but keeps reasonably well for a day.

Frequently Asked Questions