Lovable Lentils

Lentils are a great food for vegans. They are versatile and easy to adapt to different recipes and they are very nutritious as well. Lentils are high in iron, a great source of fiber and a great food for lowering cholesterol. Lentils are a great source of B vitamins, most notably folate and niacin as well as high levels of protein. Even better lentils are very affordable. Here are some delicious lentil recipes perfect for any meal of the day.


Lentil Dhal
A thick soup much like a stew this dish is perfect as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups red lentils, rinsed and soaked
• 1½ teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Place the lentils in a saucepan and add 4 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the ginger.
3. Cover the pan and simmer until lentils are soft and have turned yellow, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add the coriander, onion powder, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, salt to taste, and 1 cup water if the dal is very thick. Simmer for about 10 minutes more to blend the flavors.
5. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, with rice or bread.

Lentil Burger Patties: 
Great for a barbecue and far more flavorful than the standard store bought veggie burgers.

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon low-sodium vegetable broth or water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, half finely chopped and half thinly sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• Cooking spray
• (optional) Baby arugula, basil, roasted red bell peppers and spicy mustard, for serving

Instructions:

1. Bring the lentils and 1 3/4 cup of the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer until the lentils are fully softened and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon broth and mash well with a potato masher. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper and cumin and stir until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the spinach mixture, breadcrumbs, walnuts and additional pinch of salt to the lentils and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Form the mixture into six 4-inch patties and spray with cooking spray on each side. Grill until nice grill marks form, about 3 minutes per side. Place the patties in the buns with the sliced onion and other toppings, as desired, and serve.

Lentil Crackers: 
Couple these with hummus or enjoy as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups lentil flour
• water (1/4 – 1/2 cup, depending on desired thickness)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp thyme leaves (or to taste)
• handful finely chopped basil
• handful finely chopped coriander
• optional: salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. 
2. Add the flour, onion, garlic, olive oil, thyme, basil and coriander into a food processor, drizzle in some water and then work lightly till a ball of dough forms. 
3. Spoon onto a pre-oiled baking tray and use a knife to score into squares or triangles. 
4. If your mixture is too liquidy, don’t panic, just bake for at least 10 minutes, then score with a knife and return to the oven. 
5. Bake for about  15-20 minutes (depending on thickness) and then flip over for another 15-20. Remove from oven, break apart and serve with your choice of dip.

Lentil bread: 
Great for sandwiches and gluten free

Ingredients:

• 1 ½  cups urad dal (split black lentils)
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 3 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp psyllium husk
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Soak the urad dal overnight. Drain and add to a food processor. Process the dal until it is just slightly gritty. Process for 30 to 45 seconds then move the dal with a spatula. It will take 3 to 4 minutes to break the lentils down into a batter consistency. Add just a little water (3 to 6 Tablespoons) to help with the processing. Add the rest of the ingredients and process for a minute to combine. Check the batter for aeration. (drop a half tsp of batter in a cup of water. The batter should float on the top). If not aerated well , transfer the thick batter to a bowl and whip with a large spoon a few times, then check again. the batter should be thick and pasty but also slightly bubbly.
2. Drop batter into parchment lined bread pan. Spray oil on top and even it out using a light hand so the air in the batter is not pressed out.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C. Bake for 45 minutes. Cover the bread with another parchment after first 15 to 20 minutes by placing the parchment on the loaf pan. Reduce temperature to 190C after 45 minutes, remove parchment and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.
4. Cool completely before slicing, about an hour. The bread slices more easily the next day. Refrigerate the bread for upto 5 days in an airtight container. The bread crust is crusty the first day and gets softer as it sits because of moisture. Moisture in the storage container after a day is normal. 

Lentil croquettes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked lentils
• 1 roasted onion
• 2 cloves of roasted garlic
• 1 roasted carrot
• ¼ cup of chopped parsley
• 1 cup of chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
• Pinch Sea Salt
• Pinch of Thyme
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Combine all lentils and roasted vegetables, parsley and garlic in a large mixing bowl
2. Mash together with a potato masher until ingredients are fully mixed
3. Add chickpea flour, nutritional yeast and salt and stir together until fully combined
4. Add thyme and mix until a fully blended thick batter is achieved
5. Spoon out golf ball sized portions from the batter mixture
6. Add olive oil to a large frying pan and heat to medium
7. Once heated add lentil portions and allow to cook until the croquettes are browned on all sides.
8. Remove from pan and serve

Lentil Pasta

Pastas made from lentils are also available. This is great for people who may be gluten intolerant or just want to try something new and really enjoy pasta. They can be used like any other pasta and are available as penne, macaroni even lasagne and more.

Incorporating lentils into the regular dietary rotation is a great way to maintain a commitment to plant based nutrition and try something new.