Red Lentil Patties with Cilantro Sauce

Adapted from The Healthy Hedonist, Myra Kornfeld

Red Lentil Patties

Ingredients

1 cup short grain brown rice

1/2 cup red lentils

2 tsp ground turmeric

pinch of salt

2 Tbs safflower oil

2 tsp cumin

2 cups finely diced onions

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

Directions

1. Rinse rice and lentils

2. In one pot add rice, 1 tsp of turmeric, and 2 cups of water, bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 40-50 mins

3. In another pot add lentils, 1 tsp of turmeric, and 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 30-40 mins

4. Meanwhile, saute onions in 1 Tbs safflower oil on low heat for 12 mins until browned, then stir in cumin and red pepper flakes

5. Mixed cooked lentils, rice, and onions together with a pinch of salt

6. Allow to cool for 20 mins, then form into 8 patties

7. Spread arrowroot on large plate and dredge the patties in it

8. Add 1 Tbs of safflower oil to cast iron pan on medium high heat

9. Cook 4 patties at a time, 2 mins per side until golden

Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup unsweetened lite coconut milk from can-shake can before opening

1 jalapeno-diced

1 garlic clove-minced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger-minced

pinch of salt

1 cup of roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the patties.

Eric recently bought me this great cookbook and I thought this recipe sounded great! I decided to use brown rice instead of basmati rice to amp up the nutrition. The recipe called for cumin seeds, but I didn't have them so I just used powdered cumin. This was the first time that I used arrowroot powder, which is similar to cornstarch and it is gluten-free. It was a really silky powder and I think it helped the patties brown up better. I would like to experiment with it more to see if it is worthwhile because it is a little expensive. I just bought it in the bulk section in the Co-op for the amount that I needed. I highly suggest using the bulk sections in grocery stores, especially when you only need a small amount of an ingredient. I think it is especially great with spices because they expire in 6-12 months, so only buy a small amount at a time so you don't waste and then your spices are always fresh and flavorful!