Private: Blog & Recipes Archive
Vegetarian Lentil Croquettes
Prep Time:
Serves
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 to 3 ½ cups vegetables (suggestions include finely chopped or grated onion, potato, carrot,
- cabbage, jalapeño (remove membranes and seeds if less heat is desired), red pepper
- 1 Tbsp oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, finely grated or minced (around 1 Tbsp) or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup parsley or cilantro
- ½ cup (plus) chickpea flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- Oil for pan frying—use any vegetable oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil
Created By
Prepared by Doreen Kool
Directions
- Soak lentils in water for approximately 3 hours. When lentils are tender—you can break them easily with a fork or your fingernail—drain them well and set aside.
- Combine cabbage, carrots, potato, and zucchini (if using). Stir in ½ tsp salt and set aside for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Preheat frying pan and add oil. Use your hands to squeeze moisture out of cabbage mixture or press it into a sieve. Add all vegetables to heated frypan and cook on med heat for 5 to 6 minutes. The goal is to soften the vegetables and remove moisture. Add garlic and ginger during the last 20 to 30 seconds of cooking time.
- Place lentils, chickpea flour, parsley or cilantro, salt and spices, lime or lemon juice, and baking soda into food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down sides as needed. When lentils are roughly chopped, add the cooked vegetables. Pulse a few times more. Some texture is desired—allow lentils to retain some coarseness. (Think fish tank gravel before adding the vegetables and coarse sand afterward.)
- Turn lentil-vegetable mixture into a bowl. Though the mixture can be sticky and moist, if very wet, it will be helpful to add 1 or 2 tablespoons more of chickpea flour. Coat hands with a little oil to prevent mixture from sticking. Shape croquettes with your hands into oblong shapes that are roughly 1 ½ inches (4 cm) wide and 3 inches (8 cm) long.
- Using a heavy frying pan or Dutch oven, heat approximately 1 inch of cooking oil on medium-high heat. Work in batches. Gently place croquettes into oil. Allow to cook undisturbed for several minutes. Check bottom and when well browned use a slotted spoon or spatula to turn croquettes over. Fry the second side until brown and remove to drain on paper towel.