Lentil Fritters with Yoghurt Sauce Recipe
At first I was a bit surprised by the name lentil fritters. As a Bengali of course I know what lentil is. I even had lentil soup (daal) for lunch. But I was not sure what fritters are, the name is very foreign to me.
So I looked up what are fritters? In Bangla or Hindi we call fritters Pakora or even kofta. The dish fritters comes from Ancient Rome. The word is derived from the latin word “frigere” which means “to fry.”
Now the whole dish makes sense. So what is a lentil fritter? Lentil fritters are what we would call in Bangla Daal er kofta or daal er pakora. Or if we go for a literal translation, it is lentil fried on oil.
Lentil fritters or Daal er kofta is honestly one of my favorite snacks. Since it is fried on oil, whenever my mother made these, the smell would fill up the whole house.
Now traditionally, we have daal er pakora or Lentil fritters as an afternoon snack. And let me tell you, there is nothing better than hot lentil fritters with some tomato ketchup or chutney. What sauce or chutney you choose to have it with completely changes the experience. The spicy or tangy or even sweet kick from the chutney goes so well with the mild, earthy flavor of the lentils.
Now I called Lentil fritters a snack, but it works as a side dish as well. In many Bengali households, including mine, we serve it with biriyani or polao during special occasions. Usually meat based kofta or fritters are popular, but lentil fritters are just as delicious.
Now this recipe takes a different approach. Instead of the traditional ketchup or chutney, we are pairing lentil fritters with Greek yogurt sauce. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first. But after trying it? It is a completely different experience.
The tangy, creamy yogurt cuts through the richness of the fried lentils in a way that chutney does not. It is refreshing and light, almost like having raita with pakoras. The yogurt sauce makes the dish feel less heavy, which is perfect if you are serving these as an appetizer before a big meal. Or just a stand alone afternoon snack.
Fair warning though, this is not the traditional way. But sometimes trying something new is exactly what makes cooking exciting!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dry brown lentils soaked overnight
- 1 small brown onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 medium egg
- ⅛ - ¼ c cup milk as needed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- Grate fresh nutmeg
- Pinch salt
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup greek yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds crushes
Instructions
- The night before, rinse the lentils and pick through any odd looking ones. Rinse until the water runs clear then place in a large bowl and cover with clean water. Leave overnight to soak
- Drain the lentils and set aside. In a small skillet, add a drizzle of oil and cook the onion and garlic until softening. Add the spices and cook, stirring 2 minutes. Add lentils and cook a few more minutes.
- Add the lentils and onions mixture to the food processor. Add the breadcrumbs and egg and pulse 10-20 seconds or until the mixture has come together but still has some texture. Add milk to adjust consistency if needed.
- With wet hands scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form into a patty. Repeat to form 6-8 patties
- Preheat a pan with about 2 cm of oil in the bottom, when the oil is hot add the patties in a single layer. Cook 4-5 minutes each side, until nice and brown and crispy.
- Serve with yoghurt sauce
- For yoghurt sauce: In a small bowl, add the greek yoghurt then stir through the lemon juice, garlic cloves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well, then serve with a drizzle of chilli oil and some toasted cumin seeds.
