Quick Lentil Falafel with Basmati Rice
Speed - 89%
Simplicity - 94%
Tastiness - 100%
94%
Delicious!
Quick Lentil Falafel with Chicken Rice is a very interesting and delicious approach on the classical dish.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Dried Red Lentils
- 1 cup Greek Olives pitted
- 1 Egg
- 2 Green Onions
- 4 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin Seeds
- Bunch of Fresh Parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
- 10 oz White Basmati Rice
Instructions
- Place the red lentils in a large bowl and cover with water.
- Soak overnight or for minimum 8 hours.
- Rinse and strain.
- Transfer the lentils to a pot, fill with water and bring to a boil.
- Cook for 15 minutes, remove from the pot and strain well, for 2-3 minutes.
- Place the cooked lentils in a bowl and add the pitted olives.
- Chop the parsley and add to the falafel mixture.
- Also add the chopped onion, nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, ground cumin seeds and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir well and add the beaten egg.
- Shape the falafel balls.
- Place the sesame seeds on a plate and roll the balls to coat with the seeds.
- Heat the vegetable oil and cook the falafel for 5-6 minutes, turning it frequently on all sides so it doesn't get burned.
- Meanwhile cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Serve the lentil falafel together with basmati rice and enjoy.
I know, I know: falafel is usually made out of chickpeas. That's right! But where's the pleasure in cooking if you can't reinvent and recreate recipes? I could never ever cook a recipe just like it was. I always have to add, replace or skip some ingredients. It didn't feel right to prepare it just like the book said. By modifying a recipe, it turns out to be perfect for me and my taste.
I decided to replace chickpeas with lentils simply because I wanted to see how the falafel will look like this way. And because I love lentils. They have an unmistakable flavor which brings an oriental touch for every recipe. The falafel will taste different, of course, but it will still remain delicious.
The Greek olives and nutritional yeast are also something new, but you will see that the final result is amazing. Don't forget about the sesame seeds to keep the nutty taste for the “meatballs”. Even this is a vegetarian meal it will keep the hunger sensation away until next morning.
First of all, place the lentils in a large bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak overnight. Or you may do this in the morning, before leaving for work. It is always advisable to soak the legumes before cooking because this way you will activate the enzymes which help the digestion process. The lentils will look like this after 8 hours because they swallow and double their volume.
Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water. Transfer to a pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, and then set aside in a sieve to release the liquid for 2-3 minutes. After that place the boiled lentils in a bowl.
Add the pitted olives. I prefer using Greek olives, but Kalamata will work too. Or any other kind of olives, even green ones.
Chop the onion in small pieces and add to the falafel mixture.
Also add the chopped parsley. A bunch of coriander would work better for this recipe, but I didin't have any at hand, so I used parsley instead.
Stir in the nutritional yeast. If you hadn't used this ingredient before, you should know that it is also called “vegan parmesan”. It brings a cheesy taste to the food and is very appreciated among vegans.
Add the breadcrumbs, cumin seeds, season with salt and pepper and give it a stir. You'd better taste the composition before adding too much salt considering the fact that olives are salty too.
Beat the egg and add to the falafel mixture.
If you want to keep this recipe entirely vegan, replace the egg with flax seeds. They have exactly the same role, to keep the mixture together. Take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds and combine with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5 minutes for the flax to absorb the liquid, and then stir into the mixture.
When the mixture is sticky and easy to shape, start forming the balls.
Spread the sesame seeds on a large plate and roll the balls to coat with the seeds.
Heat the vegetable oil and fry the falafel for 5-6 minutes, turning on all sides to get evenly cooked.
Meanwhile prepare the rice according to the package instructions. Serve together with the falafel. Add a drizzle Tamari sauce over the rice to taste even better.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Dried Red Lentils
- 1 cup Greek Olives pitted
- 1 Egg
- 2 Green Onions
- 4 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin Seeds
- Bunch of Fresh Parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
- 10 oz White Basmati Rice
Instructions
- Place the red lentils in a large bowl and cover with water.
- Soak overnight or for minimum 8 hours.
- Rinse and strain.
- Transfer the lentils to a pot, fill with water and bring to a boil.
- Cook for 15 minutes, remove from the pot and strain well, for 2-3 minutes.
- Place the cooked lentils in a bowl and add the pitted olives.
- Chop the parsley and add to the falafel mixture.
- Also add the chopped onion, nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, ground cumin seeds and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir well and add the beaten egg.
- Shape the falafel balls.
- Place the sesame seeds on a plate and roll the balls to coat with the seeds.
- Heat the vegetable oil and cook the falafel for 5-6 minutes, turning it frequently on all sides so it doesn't get burned.
- Meanwhile cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Serve the lentil falafel together with basmati rice and enjoy.
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