Vegan Bon Appetit: South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita

Today's installment of Vegan Bon Appetit comes from the September 2011 issue and is contributed by the chef at Bindi Restaurant in Philadelphia.  While this recipe is written as an Indian flavored/ inspired dish, it's components translate really well to Middle Eastern.  In other words, I've finally found a falafel like recipe that I really love!  Who knew the secret all along was just using soaked rice instead of flour or bread crumbs.

This recipe from Bon Appetit is really easy to prepare and packed full of flavor. The mint is such a great addition, making the dense patties seem almost light.  I love that they only take a few minutes to pan fry with just a brush of oil, and firm up nicely, rather than dry out after baking, or weigh down your stomach from deep frying.

The recipe instructs that all the herbs and greens be chopped or minced before mixing into the "dough" but I found that it worked just fine adding them to the food processor whole and pulsing a few times. This speeds up the prep time.

To veganize the complete recipe, it's as simple as using a plain non-dairy yogurt to make the raita. Or leave the raita out entirely and whip up an easy tahini dressing to highlight a more Middle Eastern feel.  Although, the raita is very reminiscent of a tatziki sauce.

I opted to use chickpeas in place of lentils, but will love to try this again sometime with split mung beans as suggested in the ingredients.

Here's my version of the recipe.

Raita
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 C plain non-dairy yogurt
1/4 C finely chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp minced seeded jalapeño
1/2 tsp (or more) fresh lemon juice

Mix yogurt, cucumber, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir in cumin. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Lentil Cakes
1/2 C dried garbanzo beans
1/4 C brown basmati rice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, minced
1 C spinach leaves, chopped (or sub pea tendrils or arugula)
1/2 C peas (thawed if frozen), chopped
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 C chopped scallions
3 T chopped fresh mint
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Rinse garbanzos and place in a medium bowl with rice. Add water to cover by 3". Let soak at room temperature for 5-6 hours.

Drain garbanzos and rice; transfer to a food processor. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño. Process until grainy paste forms (add 1-2 tablespoons water if necessary). Transfer to a large bowl; mix in greens and next 6 ingredients, or add herbs and greens to food processor and pulse a few times to mince, then add peas and pulse once or twice to combine, then fold in chopped scallions using a silicon spatula.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (or spray with cooking spray). Spoon 4 scant 1/4-cupfuls of batter into skillet, flattening with the back of a measuring cup into 1/4"-thick cakes. Reduce heat to medium; sauté until golden brown and cooked through, adding 1 more tablespoon oil when cakes are flipped, about 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and batter. Divide raita among plates; top with roasted garlic cloves. Place 2 cakes on each plate.


What's your favorite legume and recipe to prepare using it?