Spiced lentil patties with crispy potatoes and herb cream – a wonderful vegetarian dinner.
Lentil patties with crispy potatoes and herb cream – a really delicious vegetarian dish with moist lentil “frikadeller” (a vegetarian take on Danish meatballs), crisp oven-roasted potatoes and a fresh, creamy herb cream. It is the kind of meal where nothing is missing – plenty of flavour, good textures and a lovely freshness from the herb cream.
I make the lentil patties with red lentils, carrot, courgette, onion, garlic and parsley. The mixture is bound with egg, porridge oats and flour and seasoned with, among other things, black sesame seeds, spices and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. They are fried crisp and golden in the pan but stay beautifully moist inside.
It is important that the cooked lentils are drained well and left to cool before the mixture is combined. Don’t make the lentil patties too large either – a good heaped tablespoon of mixture for each one is perfect. They are then much easier to turn in the pan and keep their shape nicely.
The consistency of the mixture can vary a little depending on how much liquid is in the vegetables, so add an extra egg if the mixture struggles to come together. It should be soft but hold together.
With the lentil patties I serve small crispy potatoes, tossed with oil and seasoning and roasted golden in the oven. While the potatoes look after themselves and the patties fry in the pan, I stir together a quick herb cream from Greek yoghurt, fresh herbs, lemon, a little olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Very simple and very good.
In other words, a lovely vegetarian dinner that is hearty, fresh and filling all at once. And should there be any lentil patties left over, they taste wonderful cold the next day and are perfect for a packed lunch. In our house, though, they tend to disappear straight from the pan, so leftovers are not exactly guaranteed.
Lentil patties with crispy potatoes and herb cream
Ingredients
Lentil patties
- 300 ml dried red lentils
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 150 g carrots, grated
- 150 g courgette, grated (squeeze out the liquid) – or sweetheart cabbage, very finely shredded
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- 1-2 eggs
- 100 ml porridge oats
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white) – optional
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 – 1 lime, juice of
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Rapeseed oil for frying
Crispy potatoes
- 800 g small potatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Dried thyme or other herbs and spices, optional
Herb cream
- 300 g Greek yoghurt
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 lemon, finely grated zest
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Preparation
- Start by cooking the red lentils – they need to drain and cool before the mixture is combined.
- Cook them until tender – 20 minutes is usually plenty. Then drain them thoroughly in a sieve and leave to cool, in the fridge if you like.
Crispy potatoes
- Toss the potatoes with the oil and season with salt, freshly ground pepper and thyme – or other herbs and spices.
- Spread them out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and roast in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 210°C for about 50 minutes. Turn them once along the way.
- Meanwhile, fry the lentil patties and make the herb cream.
Lentil patties and herb cream
- Mix the drained, cooled lentils with the remaining ingredients. Start with one egg and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. If the mixture is too dry or won’t hold together, stir in another egg – it should be on the soft side.
- Heat a generous splash of oil in a frying pan. Take a large tablespoon of the mixture and place it in the pan – then press it gently flat. Continue with the rest of the mixture and fry the lentil patties until golden on both sides. They need about 5 minutes per side over a medium heat.Dip the spoon in the oil from the pan if you like – the mixture releases more easily that way.
- Don’t make the lentil patties too large – they can be hard to handle when it is time to turn them.
- Stir together the ingredients for the herb cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serving
- Serve the crisp, spiced lentil patties with the oven-roasted potatoes and the fresh herb cream – sprinkle with a little parsley before serving.
Tips
Otherwise they are also lovely the next day in a packed lunch.
Nutrition
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