These fritters come together pretty easily without egg. If you do eat eggs, adding 1 or two of them to the mixture will help bind them even more. Cast Iron skillets are great for this as they maintain high heat very easily. Make sure the lentils you use have been drained of their liquid so the mixture stays firm. If you don’t have turmeric, asafetida or mustard seeds you can do the same recipe just sautéing an onion with some garlic, adding any herbs or spices you like.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon of turmeric
¼ teaspoons of asafetida (optional)
2 jalapenos, minced (or to taste)
½ cup grated coconut
3 cups of grated root vegetables (I used a combination of beets, carrots, and rutabaga)
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ cup minced cilantro
1 cup pumpkin seeds (lightly hand-crushed)
oil for frying

1) Add oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and wait until they begin to pop. Add turmeric, asafetida, and jalapenos. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
2) Add grated vegetables with 2 teaspoons of salt and the grated coconut. Sauté for 5 minutes until they have just softened.

3) Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Spread the mixture into the bowl to allow it to cool down.

4) When it’s cool enough to touch, combine with rice, lentils, bread crumbs, coconut, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds with cilantro.

Mix together thoroughly with hands until it comes together as a firm “dough”. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Sear the fritters!

In a cast iron or nonstick skillet add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Form tight balls with the mixture using about 1/3 cup of the dough for each one. Flatten the mixture with your hands slightly. Make sure the oil is sufficiently hot, gliding across the pan quickly. Add 3-4 fritters in the skillet at one time. Wait 2-3 minutes, and when the fritter starts to brown, flip it with a spatula and do the same on the other side.

When they’re browned on both sides drain on a paper towel and serve.

Serving suggestion: Make a quick sweetened yoghurt using a 1 cup of plain yoghurt with 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix together thoroughly.

This simple comfort food meal comes together within a half an hour.  Cooking down the fennel adds a lovely depth of flavor with few ingredients.  I suggest serving the dish with cooked jasamine rice, as it’s plumper and more fragrant.  I like to drizzle the rice with a touch of fruity olive oil or a small sliver of good butter- it just helps bring the dish together.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fennel bulbs – thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 ½ teaspoons thyme
4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 cups cooked and drained white beans
¾ cup of water
1 ½ teaspoon of salt
parsley

1) In a Large high-sided skillet on medium heat add olive oil and add the sliced fennel. After about 6 minutes or so add the onion, crushed red pepper, and thyme. Continue to cook on medium to medium high heat, stirring to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. You will be lightly caramelizing the fennel, so it may take up to 15 more minutes. When the fennel and onion are lightly brown and softened.

2) Add garlic clove and sauté for another minute or two.

3) Add the cooked white beans and salt along with ¾ cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Garnish with parsley and serve with white jasmine rice.