Indian-Spiced Lentil Hemp Patties

 

This recipe comes from one of my favourite vegan cookbooks and resource, “Whole Foods to Thrive: Nutrient-Dense, Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health” by Brendan Brazier.   Brendan, a plant-based nutrition expert, is the formulator of Vega products and a professional triathlete. I have met him twice  and each time I am clearly “star struck”.

On with the recipe…..

Turmeric, ginger, coriander and cumin spices give this dish a very distinct flavour.  These “wonder” spices are high in antioxidants, ease digestion and help tame inflammation – beneficial for those suffering from arthritis, Chron’s, IBS and other inflammatory conditions.

I love the amount of protein in these guys.  This recipe contains 1 ¼ cups cooked red lentils which is over 18 grams of protein.   Also, the hemp seeds in this recipe, albeit only 3 tablespoons,  add roughly an additional 20 grams!  If you ate all of these patties at once,  and believe me you’ll be tempted to do so,  you would be getting a good portion of your daily protein requirement.

These patties are a wonderful make ahead meal and they are super easy to prepare.   If I do have extra time, I like to make smaller patties and place some in the freezer for those crazy, busy nights.   They travel well in small containers and can be eaten as finger food – perfect when eating out for lunch or dinner (at the skating rink on most nights, in our case).   Hope you enjoy this uber-nutritious dish!

 

INDIAN-SPICED LENTIL HEMP PATTIES

• 2-3 tbsp. coconut oil*, for frying
• 1 cup diced yellow onion,
• 1 cup diced red pepper*
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ cup hemp seeds
• 3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1 ¼ cups cooked red lentils
• ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

Melt the coconut oil over medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and red pepper until the vegetables are soft.  Add the garlic and saute for about 1 more minute.  Remove vegetables from the heat and let cool .  Scoop mixture into a food processor or large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the vegetable mixture.  Pulse mixture a few times in a food processor or, if you do not have a food processor, mash some lentils with a fork. (Lentils that are well mashed make it easier to form patties). Adjust salt as needed.  Hand shape mixture into patties of desired size.

Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Cook patties until brown on both sides.

*Coconut oil, made from the fat found in the meat of a coconut, is one of the best oils for frying. Unlike other oils, coconut oil does not lose its antioxidant benefits or nutritional value when heated. I love the flavour that it adds to dishes – a little nutty, a little like coconut. When shopping for coconut oil, choose virgin oil over refined. Virgin oil means that the fat was not extracted using chemicals.

*Red peppers, as well as other nightshade vegetables, have been known to aggravate inflammation in the body. It may be wise to eliminate this vegetable from the patties, if one suffers from any inflammatory conditions.

I have to share this one!  Here I am chatting with Brendan Brazier at “The Seed: A Vegan Experience” in New York City, June 2012.