Millet and sweet potato burgers recipe

Well, it's about time to wrap up November's cookbook of the month, The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.  The book has an entire section dedicated to burgers, patties, and griddlecakes, and I wanted to try at least one.  I ended up picking these because millet and sweet potatoes are two of my favorite foods, and I almost always have them around. 

They were good, and despite all of the ingredients, I appreciate that you could taste the millet and sweet potato.  They have a lot of different textures, with the sunflower seeds providing a particularly distinctive crunch.  They definitely do not resemble hamburgers (or those veggie burgers that try to imitate meat), but it's great for an alternative burger.  This recipe was supposed to only make 3 burgers, and I would hate to see the mouth of the person who could fit one of those in.  Overall, this book is pretty good.  I LOVED the King Ranch casserole (though I made a few big changes), and I really enjoyed the lentil and sausage soup, parsnip mashed potatoes, and these burgers.  I also made a red beans and rice dish that was only so-so.  I'm sure I'll open this book from time to time, but it's hard to compare it to the previous cookbook of the month, Vegetarian Planet.

Millet and sweet potato burgers (adapted from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook)
(Printable version)

1/2 cup millet
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 Tbsp soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp potato starch
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine millet, sweet potatoes, and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil, and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 min, or until the water is completely absorbed.  Add the chickpeas and mash with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Divide into 6 equal patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray patties with olive oil and bake at 400 for 20-30 min, until patties are golden brown and firm.  Serves 6.