Lentil Patties (Vegetarian, High-Protein) and how humanity was saved
- Updated on Mar 26, 2020
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The year was 2037. The blight had been ravaging the planet for over five years and there was no end of it abating. The situation was growing more dire and more desperate by the day.
Humanity was down to its last stores of food.
The cupboards had been devastated. Pantries had been plundered and complete larders had been wiped out. Toilet paper wasn’t as tasty or nutritional as the early adopters had claimed.
All that was left were lentils (both tinned and dried), a few jealously-guarded sacks of flour and several precious nets of onions that had been lovingly and carefully protected from the ever-present sun.
A few solitary chickens (living in happy, free-range conditions) were supplying a meagre yet constant source of eggs. In the areas that had no access to egg, the ‘flax egg’ had been perfected, and vegans the world over rejoiced in delight.
But times were still dark. Much like the years before, the human race was desperate for high-protein meals and the insects had run out long ago.
Remembering the story of the golden goose, the chickens were left in peace.
But the hunt for protein had become all-consuming, and the chickens were soon once again in danger. Things were looking bleak.
Then on one seemingly normal day, lentil patties were discovered.
Dinner was saved.
Lentil patties save the day
Humans, young and old alike, suddenly had access to filling, protein-packed patties that just happened to be satisfying and delicious, too.
Some slathered them in sauce, some threw them in buns. Yet more ate them with a crispy salad and a simple dressing.
They were quick and easy to make, and incredibly cheap. News spread and humans the world over cooked up batch after batch. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner – it made no difference – lentil patties were there to stay.
2037 became known as the Year of the Lentil. Protein needs were met, bellies were filled and chickens were left alone. The celebrations were wild and Whatsapp parties were out of control.
The blight was extinguished and everyone was happy.
Even today people still make these lentil patties with the original recipe to honour their ancestors.
For you, and with help from our archives we have faithfully recreated the original recipe below – just the same as was used in the Year of the Lentil.
A note on cooking methods
In this recipe we love to use tinned or canned lentils. They’re so quick and easy to use they just make sense to us.
With that being said, a bag of dried lentils can last for ages and are obviously great in situations where you may need your food to last as long as possible.
There is no major difference to the recipe whether you use red, green or brown lentils (or any others) – we’d say go with whichever you prefer.
Eggs and ‘flax eggs’
If you don’t have eggs (or don’t want to use any), you can create a vegan egg from flaxseed, and it helps the patty stick together (not to mention being high in omega 3s).
Simply mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp boiling or very hot water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. It will turn all sticky, and add it into the recipe instead of the regular egg.
A few helpful links
We know many of you are looking for cupboard-friendly, high-protein meals at the moment (or maybe always!).
Here are some of our most popular recipes and compilations.
A Youtube link to this lentil patties recipe
Two-ingredient Egg Banana Pankcake
Kitchen Staple Sweetcorn Fritters
21 Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
30 High-protein Vegetarian Recipes
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup wholegrain flour
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 eggs (or mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp hot water, stir and let rest for a min to create a ‘flax egg’)
- 4-6 tbsp water
- ½ medium red onion
- 1.5 cups lentils, cooked
- 2 tsp olive oil
Optional
- ½ cup low fat Greek Yogurt (½ cup = 120g)
- 2 handful baby leaf salad
Instructions
- In a bowl add flour, coriander seeds, paprika, salt, eggs (or flax eggs) and some water if needed. Start 4 tbsp water, then add a couple more if the batter is still super-sticky. Mix to a batter.⅓ cup wholegrain flour, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground, 1 tsp paprika powder, Salt to taste, 2 eggs, 4-6 tbsp water
- Finely dice the red onion and rinse and drain the lentils. Mix in both to the batter.½ medium red onion, 1.5 cups lentils, cooked
- Add the olive oil to a pan, wipe it around and and set to medium-high heat.2 tsp olive oil
- Now, ideally with a big spoon, take a burger-sized amount of the batter and place it into the pan. If needed adjust slightly with the spoon to make the patties look nice.
- Fry flat in the pan 4 minutes each side or until golden brown.
- If wanted, serve with a salad/potatoes/rice and your Greek yoghurt or sour cream or vegan mayonnaise. Enjoy 🙂½ cup low fat Greek Yogurt, 2 handful baby leaf salad
NOTES
Nutrition
Comments
Leave a comment below
19 comments
Simply wow, I added fresh garlic and some hot pepper powder. I grow both. I also am a prepper and have about 100 pounds of brown, green and red lentils. I’ve read the book “The Lentil Underground”, this is a great way to consume pulses and give back to the soil. I’m not vegan , but a flexitarian as it were, I try to balance. I’m a 58 year old male, live in Prince Edward Island Canada, two greenhouses and grow as much food as I can . Thank you for a great way to cook with Lentils
What an interesting lifestyle you have! Keep it all up! Glad you liked patties!
Hi,
I’m gluten intolerant so what would you suggest in place of whole grain flour? Thanks,
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried it yet – but what about chickpea flour? Taste and texture-wise I bet it would go well!
I substituted chana/chickpea flour and it was a bit runny (and I only used 2 tablespoons water) but came out ok, I think the chana doesn’t hold onto the liquid as well as wheat. Next time I will skip the water and they should come out perfect
Tried these out tonight, first time I have used a flax egg. It worked very well. The fritters were tasty and filling. I used green lentils, but will give red ones a try next time. A great easy meal. Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Terry! Red lentils could work as well, personally I’m a bit “worried” about their consistency. Cooked red lentils can be veery mushy at times. Would be cool t hear how it turned out!
I am so glad that I stumbled across your site. I started by making the delicious 2 ingredient pancakes. I’ve been printing off recipes that I thought that I might like to try out. I made these lentil patties tonight. I used my Instant Pot to cook my lentils and I thought that they might be too “wet” for this recipe. I drained them a little bit. I’m new to this kind of cooking, so I was a little bit skeptical about how lentils patties would taste. They are GREAT! One of the things I like about your recipes (besides tasting so good) is that they make reasonable quantities for a person who is cooking for themselves. Learning to cook using these recipes has given me something to do while having to shelter-in-place during the pandemic. My best to all of you. Stay healthy and keep hurrying the food up!!
Ahh, that so good to hear, Liz! Really glad you liked the patties! Yesss, I also made a proper grocery shopping tour on the weekend, so I can taste test a bunch of recipes for the next week of home-office action 🙂
Let’s make the most of it!
Update: I just made up a batch and they are delicious! I used what I had on hand & substituted Smoked Paprika for Paprika, I didn’t have coriander seeds or red onion so used Vidalia onion and I added some vegetable stock and white wine to cook the lentils. Once the Patti’s were cooked thru a served them with sweet chili sauce and sour cream for dipping :).
Yummy, filling and hit the spot on this cold rainy “shut in” day.
Thanks again Dave!
Awesome, Martine! I’m really happy! They’ve become one of my fave easy snacks – as you say, they hit the spot on a rainy day :). I hope you find some more recipes you enjoy, too. See you around!
I love the story to go with this recipe! I cannot wait to try it and thank you for the other list of vegetarian recipes! It’s nice that you successfully entertaining us as well!
Thanks Martine! Hopefully it shows there’s a little light on the horizon :). Enjoy the patties!
Hi, do I use 1cup of cooked lentils, or 1 cup of dry lentils and then cook them?
Thanks!
Hi Dee! Good question – it’s one cup of lentils that have already been cooked :). Enjoy!