I made this recipe on a whim when cooking dinner about a month ago and shared the process on our IG stories. It seemed to resonate, and we absolutely loved how it turned out. I’m finally getting around to sharing the recipe here. These fritters are inspired by the Bengali piyaju, as well as the Korean bindae-tteok, both fritters/panckes that are made with legumes in the batter.
Soaked and blended red lentils act as a binder in these fritters. No chia or flax, or any other binders needed! We pack the red lentil batter with a bunch of veggies: grated carrot, onion, broccoli, garlic, as well some spices. We then bake the fritters instead of frying them. If I can avoid frying, I always do, to save time and avoid smoking up the kitchen. I think that these guys come out just as golden, crispy, and lacy-edged when baked at a high temperature, as they do when fried. We are just letting the oven do the frying :) The final product is so savory and addictive, it’s impossible not to eat them all in one sitting. To serve with, there’s a really easy and quick maple mustard dipping sauce that really takes this whole recipe over the top. We hope that you’ll give these fritters a try!
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated
- florets from 2 very small or 1 medium-small head broccoli, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling the vegetables
- 1 cup red lentils, soaked in water overnight
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch chili flakes
- avocado oil or olive oil
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or 1 tbsp Dijon and 1 tbsp grainy mustard)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the grated carrot, onion, and broccoli in a colander, set over a bowl. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and mix to coat. Let the vegetables sit and release water while preparing the batter.
- Drain and rinse the lentils. In a food processor, combine the lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, paprika, and chili flakes. Process until smooth. Transfer the batter to a medium bowl.
- Using your hands, squeeze as much excess water out of the vegetables as you can. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the batter and mix to combine. Start forming the fritters on the prepared baking sheet by putting dollops of the batter on the sheet and flattening them out with a spoon. Flatten out from the center to achieve the uneven fritter-like edges, and leave at least an inch between the fritters. Aim for fritters about 3½" in diameter and just under ¼" in thickness. Brush generously with oil and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the fritters using a flat spatula, brush with more oil, and bake for 10 more minutes, until the undersides are golden, and the edges are crispy. You will likely need to bake the fritters in a few batches.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, and maple syrup. Mix until smooth. Serve as a dipping sauce for the fritters.
Amy D. says
Looks delicious. Would it be possible to use frozen broccoli florets? Or toss all of the vegetables in the food processor instead of grating? I’m always looking for shortcuts!
Also what other flavors of dipping sauces would work with these? We have someone who doesn’t like mustard here. Thanks!!!
Anya says
Hi Amy,
Thank you so much! I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it, but I think that frozen broccoli should be ok here. I would thaw it out and squeeze all the water out of it super well, to make sure that the fritters get crispy. I use the grating attachment on my food processor to grate all the vegetables for these fritters. If you don’t have that attachment, it would probably still work, just make sure not to grind them too fine. And for the sauce, pretty much any creamy sauce that you love would work here! Especially something sweet and savory. You could try mayo, maple, and hot sauce, that would probably be good.
Carla Hayden says
This looks very interesting I can’t wait to soak my red lentils.
Anya says
Hope you enjoy them :)
Emily says
These are excellent! They turned out incredibly crispy, so savoury, and addictive! Super easy and quick to make too, took less than an hour in total! Will be making again for sure.
Anya says
Hi Emily,
So happy you enjoyed them! Agreed that they’re super addictive :)
Franzi says
Super yummy and easy to make! (I fried them despite the oil just because it’s much quicker) They are also great cold and on a sandwich (a kind of vegan burger). I guess these will go in rotation with us. Thanks a lot!!
Anya says
Hi Franzi,
So glad you enjoyed them! Love the veggie burger idea.
Smad says
Just made these and they came out so good! A bit dry but once you dip them in the sauce they’re perfect. Thanks!
Anya says
So glad you enjoyed them!
GRACIELA says
Hola!!! Quiero probar esta receta, pero una consulta: me da un poco de cosa utilizar las lentejas crudas, ¿quedan bien cocidas así en el horno?
GRACE says
Hello! I want to make this recipe, but raw lentils give me a little doubt, do they cook well in the oven? Thank you very much for your answer.
Anya says
Hi! Yes, they cook completely in the oven.
Caroline says
Wow. These were so good. The sauce is amazing. Making more again tomorrow.
Anya says
So glad you enjoyed them!