Lentil pancakes without flour and eggs

To start, prepare all the ingredients. It is better to use red lentils in this recipe as they cook faster and give the pancakes a brighter color. In the season, you can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. Peel and chop the onion into arbitrary pieces. I used a medium-sized onion, so I used half of it. Add spices to taste. This time I used 1/2 tsp of turmeric and 1/4 tsp of chili pepper. You can use cumin, coriander, curry, ginger, or your favorite spices and herbs such as basil, thyme, and oregano. You can even just use black pepper and salt. It is better to grind whole spices.

Rinse the lentils and soak them in a large amount of clean drinking water for 1-2 hours, or overnight. They will increase in volume by about two to three times. Then drain the water, rinse the lentils again, and drain them in a colander to remove any excess water. I like to soak all legumes, it helps with digestion.

Next, puree the lentils in a blender, you can use an immersion blender or even a meat grinder.

In a blender bowl, put chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes and blend. If the blender bowl allows, you can grind the lentils together with the tomatoes and onions. This will make it even faster. I have a small bowl, so I did it in two steps.

Mix the lentils, tomato mixture, salt and spices. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

The lentil batter should be moist but not runny.

Heat a frying pan, add a small amount of vegetable oil. I lightly grease the surface with a silicone brush. Fry the lentil pancakes on both sides, like regular ones, over medium heat. Flip them when there is no raw batter on the surface. Start by preparing one pancake, try it and adjust the salt.

Do not heat the stove too much, the pancakes should be well cooked and not burnt. I fry them for 4-5 minutes on each side.

From this amount of ingredients, you will get 10-12 pancakes. The pancakes have a taste similar to cutlets, so you can serve them as a standalone dish with sauce and/or a salad made with fresh vegetables, or as a side dish with mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted vegetables. We like to eat them with a berry sauce, this time - plum sauce. They also taste delicious with pesto, tomato salsa, or a simple yogurt sauce with garlic and herbs. Enjoy your meal!