06.05.06
Lentil Patties
I tried making “lentil patties” (lentil cakes, lentil croquettes - pick a name, any name!) using the leftovers from the curried lentils. I’m sure I’ve seen such a treatment for leftover lentil dishes, but couldn’t find it in the cookbooks I flipped through. I did find other recipes, starting with raw lentils, but none that started with leftovers. Most of them use some kind of breading or an egg for binder - as Crescent Dragonwagon writes in Passionate Vegetarian (which has an entire chapter on “Savory Cakes, Burgers, and Patties”):
“Eggs serve a valuable function as binders because they start out liquid, turn solid during cooking, and add a kind of rich, satisfying neutral flavor that nothing else quite matches.”
But did I pay attention to what I read? No! I reasoned that the cooked lentils were sort of batter like to begin with, and should be fine. I was wrong. They didn’t really stick together, and were hard to turn over. On the plus side, cooking this way did dry them out somewhat, which I think I preferred. But next time, I’ll pay attention to the recipes I consult!
renee said,
29 November 2006 at 2:22 pm
I find chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour to work real well as a binder for those who do not use eggs or dairy. If too much gets added I’ve used rice milk or vegie broth as a thinner and find the patties still hold together great!
The chickpea flour is healthy, has a slight sweetness to it and my 1 year old loves the patties I make for him. I can grab them right out of the fridge and let him feed peices to himself.
I make large batches a freeze them. They make a great snack or a main course.
If the lentils get too mushy it’s fine to add vegies, etc. to the mix, I found the flours like chickpea, amaranth etc. give enough dryness to the mixture to be able to turn in a non-stick pan with very little canola or safflower oil. Olive oil is fine and healthy too.
Enjoy with imagination!
jonskifarms said,
29 November 2006 at 2:37 pm
That’s a great idea, Renee, thanks! There’s a recipe for “pizzas” made with chickpea flour in Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian that I’ve made a few times, and liked.