Crispy Lentil Fritters with Celebrity Chef Michael Smith

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Crispy lentil fritters make a great appetizer, snack or lunch side.

Crispy Lentil Fritters

1 cup of Canadian split red lentils 
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 freshly minced onion
1 tablespoon of peeled ginger root, finely chopped 
1 handful of freshly chopped cilantro
vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
    Stir the raw red lentils, water and salt together, cover the works and soak them for an hour or two. They’ll rehydrate and soften considerably as they absorb almost all of the moisture.
    Transfer the lentils, water and onion to your food processor and puree them until they’re smooth. Add the ginger and cilantro and process just long enough to stir the works together. You can make this batter in advance and refrigerate until needed. The batter may seem wet but it will hold together as you fry it.
    Pour 3 inches or so of oil into a large soup pot or shallow skillet and bring to a constant steady 365° F using a frying or candy thermometer to accurately judge the temperature. Alternatively fire up your counter top deep fat fryer. 
    Using two spoons – the first to scoop, the second to release the batter – gently drop dollops of the batter into the hot oil. Stir gently until the fritters cook through and lightly brown. Strain them out and rest briefly on folded paper towel to absorb any extra oil.

LENTIL TIPS
    Lentils are dried seeds. Red lentils are further hulled and split, a process that removes their tough outer seed skin. This allows red lentils soaking in water to more easily absorb moisture. Given time – an hour or two, even overnight –they’ll rehydrate and tenderize, all without heat. That’s why the lentils in the fritters are able to cook so quickly, in just minutes.

Love lentils? Try these recipes next: Moroccan Lentils & Table Bread  and Gujarati Thali with Lentil & Basmati. Lentils are listed as one of Canada's Top 7 Superfoods.

Courtesy of Lentil Hunter, Recipes from Around the Globe with Chef Michael Smith. Check out the web series at: lentilhunter.ca

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