Recipe

Red Lentil Protein Patties

Gwangju News

By Julian Warmington

Red lentils are available widely throughout South Korea. City dwellers can find them in local supermarkets or Asian food marts. They are also offered in online stores such as Coupang or iHerb.

Lentils come in many sizes and colors, and they all have their own nutritional profiles. According to a 2010 study comparing green, French green, and red lentils, red is best due to its polyphenol content. But it is also the smallest, cheapest, and usually the most commonly available. And being the smallest, it is also the quickest to cook. 

People new to the idea of eating entirely plant-based often ask vegans and other plant-based eaters: “But where do you get your protein?!” The best answer is that almost all plant-based foods (fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as lentils, beans, and peas) do have protein but do not have cholesterol, saturated fats, or hormones such as the carcinogenic IFG1 found in cow’s milk. And, perhaps the best of all single sources of protein plus other nutrients is the lentil.

Like other lentils, the red variety is wonderfully versatile. Many cultures enjoy a range of recipes with the red lentil as the base ingredient, for example, the classic Indian dahl or the Yemeni soup often enjoyed as an entrée. But for anyone who likes a fritter or a burger and has other basic ingredients in their kitchen, the red lentil protein patty is quick, easy, tasty, and adds protein to your punch, not your paunch! 

This recipe means a lot to me for two reasons. Firstly, when I was first learning to cook plant-based and looking for alternative recipes, this is one of the first recipes shown to me. I was surprised at how easy it was to prepare and then eat them! 

Secondly, when I was “flatting” (or sharing an apartment) later on, I shared this recipe with my flatmate who was into competitive bodybuilding. He had never really thought about lentils as an alternative to all the bland, dry shredded chicken breast he was so sick of eating non-stop. When he researched about lentils for himself, he was astounded to learn that they had so much protein, are very yummy, and yet have virtually no fat at all. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of red lentils
  • ½ cup of flour (or rolled oats or chickpea flour for gluten-free options)
  • 1 onion
  • 2-4 cloves of garlic, as to taste
  • 1 inch of ginger root
  • ½ cup of one or two other fresh vegetables (e.g., a carrot, a bell pepper, a few small mushrooms, cilantro, or a couple of green onions)
  • Turmeric
  • Black pepper
  • Cumin and/or cayenne pepper
  • Soy sauce and/or cooking oil

Instructions

Split red lentils and rolled oats. Whole red lentils barely take any longer to cook. Perhaps let them simmer on a low heat for a few minutes before turning off the heat and covering with a lid. Split red lentils, however, may simply be covered in boiling water and then left to soak while preparing other ingredients, just like the oats.
One cup of red lentils and a 2/3 cup of oats.
Add all other ingredients into a frying pan and sauté only lightly, as they will be cooked again when mixed with the lentils.
The lentils and oats are soaking as the other ingredients are prepared for a gentle pan frying. This mixture uses tomato and mushrooms as the main extra ingredients. When heated through, add all ingredients into a big bowl and mix. If the mixture is too wet, add a little flour, or if cooking for the gluten sensitive, use more oats.
Form the patties by dropping a few large spoonsful of mixture onto a light frying pan or oven tray. Fry for a couple of minutes each side, or bake for about 15 minutes each side.
Serve while hot with your favorite relish, dip, side, or salad, or within bread buns or bread slices for a burger or sandwich.

Put a kettle or some hot water on to boil. Thoroughly rinse and drain the lentils. Pour the boiling water over them to a centimeter or two over their top, and cover the pot immediately with a lid. 

Crush the garlic and then finely chop it, the onion, ginger, and other vegetables. Place the garlic, onion, and ginger in a frying pan with some water, soy sauce, and/or oil, and steam fry them together until starting to soften. Add and mix in the spices, and then add in the other vegetables. Mix them together, and then turn off the heat.

By the time you have chopped and sauteed the vegetables, the hot water alone ought to have softened up the red lentils nearly to the point of being cooked. They will have absorbed most if not all of the water already. Add the flour and mix within the pot. Then add the softened vegetables. If the mixture is too runny like a liquid, add more flour until it only drips or drops slowly off your stirring spoon or fork into the pot or bowl. 

Pan fry or place on a baking tray and cook at 175 degrees for 15 minutes, and then flip them over. 

Additional Tips

  1. Some folks say to chill the mixture within a refrigerator for at least a couple of hours first before cooking to let the mixture settle. Personally, I think it is more important simply to use as many fresh ingredients as possible. 
  2. If you opt for pan frying, remember the magic rule: Be sure it is really hot before dropping in your first large spoonful of mixture to form into a patty. 
  3. Serve with your favorite burger bread, condiments, and fresh vegetables. I like to get fresh ciabatta, cut it in half, and toast very lightly. Then add fresh cracked pepper mustard, pickle, fresh tomato, and Marmite.

The Author

Julian Warmington taught for twenty years at the university level in South Korea, half of which he spent in Gwangju. He was the editor-in-chief of Gwangju News twice, oversaw its development from a single-page leaflet newsletter to a full color magazine, and established Gwangju News Online.