I prepare these lentil fritters very often: they are so easy to make and such a delicious veggie finger food and appetizer! My vegetarian friends adore these!
These fritters are just amazing!!
Yep, you are absolutely right.
At first sight they might look a bit like falafels. But the catch here is that I didn’t use chickpeas this time for this recipe but instead I decided to give these fritters a try with dried green lentils!
Can you also make red lentil fritters instead of with green lentils?
Sure!
Do you like lentils?
Falafels
Lentils seem to be quite liked by lots of people.
I don’t think that I know somebody who really hates them. Do you have lentils in your pantry right at this very moment? If your answer is yes, then you must love them a lot!
With which lentils do you cook then most?
With dried lentils or canned lentils?
I love both. So it really depends on which recipe that I want to make if I want to use dried or canned lentils.
Lentil Recipes
So what is your favorite lentil recipe?
I have both dried and canned lentils in my kitchen and pantry at all times.
Do you need more inspiration?
I usually make stews with them, preferably with fresh sausages and tomatoes for one thing. And if I want to keep it vegetarian, then I usually make a delicious Eastern spiced egg and lentil stew!
Lentils are also a delicious ingredient to add to Indian curries!
Now that I come to think of it, I haven’t made an Indian lentil curry in while really. I should put it on our menu for dinner next week! Since I already have all the needed ingredients in my kitchen.
I will keep you posted!
Canned or Dried Lentils?
Can you also use canned lentils for this lentil fritters recipe?
That is a very good question.
You can try it. However. The texture of the lentil fritters will be totally different. They might turn out to be a bit tacky and underwhelming. And add to that that I am not sure whether the canned lentil fritters will stick together when you make balls from them. Let alone when you deep fry them.
I already mentioned falafels earlier on.
Falafels
Well the same applies to falafels.
If you use dried and soaked chickpeas, your falafels will taste so much better and lighter. Are you using canned chickpeas instead, then the falafels can be too heavy and sticky.
I just prefer the crunch of the cooked green lentils in these lentil fritters.
It is just a totally different texture and it makes a huge difference.
Best Green Lentil Fritters Appetizers
Are these lentil fritters vegan?
No, because I added an egg. You can replace it by a tablespoon of sesame tehina paste if you like, to keep these lentil fritters vegan!
Serve the lukewarm lentil fritters as an appetizer bite with a light and flavorful sesame yogurt dip!
I have also added them to a salad before. And stuffed them in a grilled pita bread like you do with falafels, lettuce and lots of yummy sauces.
That is also a delicious lunch treat as well!
Enjoy these homemade lentil fritters!
Best Green Lentil Fritters Recipe
These lentil fritters are so easy to make and such a delicious veggie finger food and appetizer!
- 9 oz dry lentils (250 g)
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or panko
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup frying oil (240 ml)
- pepper
- salt
-
Soak the green lentils in cold water for 3 hours. No need to soak them overnight.
-
Drain the lentils and rinse them one more time. Then transfer the lentils to a high pan. Add water until the lentils are submerged. Add the peeled garlic cloves and a dash of salt.
-
Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lentils for 30 minutes until soft.
-
Then drain the cooked lentil and garlic cloves. Let them cool down fully. Transfer the lentil and garlic to a blender. Keep 2 handfuls of lentils aside for later.
-
Blend until you get a rough mix. Add the ground cumin, cinnamon and egg. Season generously with pepper and salt.
-
Blend again into a wet mix. Taste it and add extra cumin, pepper or salt to taste. Then blend again into a smooth paste. Add it to the 2 handfuls of lentil you kept aside.
-
Stir well. Stir in the panko.
-
Roll even balls from the lentil mixture. I made 1 oz (30 g) balls. Heat the frying oil in a saucepan over high heat until piping hot. Add a first batch of fritters.
-
Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the balls are golden brown. Stir regularly using a slotted spoon.
-
Remove the cooked fritters and drain them on kitchen paper. Add another batch of lentil balls to the hot oil and fry until all the balls are cooked. Transfer the fritters to a bowl and serve with a yogurt dipping sauce.
To Soak or Not To Soak?
So people often ask me if you really need to soak lentils now?
There seems to be quite a lot of confusion about that.
True, there are a lot of people who say that you should and then other say it is not necessary at all.
So let me shed some light on this issue using my food bloggers experience.
Fact is that you definitely don’t need to soak lentils overnight. They are much smaller that chickpeas or white lima beans for instance. But is it necessary to soak them at all?
I prefer to soak dry lentils for an hour or two before I tend to use them.
1 Hour
Just because I have found that soaked lentils cook a tad faster than unsoaked ones. But here is the good news: if you forget to soak them, you can still add them just like that to your pots and pans.
What’s your experience with dry lentils?
Do you soak them or not?
Let me know in a comment below!