After several failed attempts at making lentil patties, I reached out to Curry Mom for her expert advice. She revealed her secret: instead of boiling the lentils, she simply soaks them overnight, then purees and seasons them with spices before frying.
Since I didn’t have a pestle and mortar, Curry Mom suggested using a rolling pin, and Curry Boy eagerly offered to help. I let him showcase his skills this time around!
For this recipe, we skipped the usual potatoes, eggs, or starch, relying solely on the lentil’s natural starch and a bit of breadcrumbs to bind the patties. The result? Deliciously firm patties that hold their shape well. They’re perfect as burger patties or as a snack with chutney or cucumber yogurt mustard sauce!
Ingredients
Makes 4 lentil patties
- oil
- 80 g moong dal, soaked overnight and drained
- ½ slice stale bread, whiz into breadcrumbs
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ thumb-sized ginger, minced
- ⅓ tsp salt
How to Make Spiced Dal Patty
- Mash the soaked lentils with a rolling pin until paste-like, or try in a food processor.
- Add the onions, garam masala, coriander powder, bread crumbs and salt to the lentil paste. Mix well and shape into a disc.
- Warm a generous amount of oil in a pan over medium heat, shallow-fry the lentil patties until both sides turned golden.
