Red Lentil Patties with Cilantro Sauce

" Serve them as a vegetarian main course or as a side to fish and chicken dishes." From The Healthy Hedonist.

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk, stirred before measuring
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed & seeded
• 1 garlic clove
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

METHOD

Wash the rice and lentils, and drain them. Place them in a medium saucepan and add the water, turmeric, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and simmer, without stirring, until the water is absorbed, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes and remove the skillet from the heat. Add the mixture to the cooked rice and lentils. Stir to combine. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and let it sit until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Spread the arrowroot on a large plate. Form the lentil mixture into 8 patties. Dredge the patties in the arrowroot, and place them on a clean plate.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining oil and patties. Serve warm, with sauce.

Cilantro Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. The sauce will blend best if you put the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Makes 1 cup.

Serves: 4

Reprinted with permission from ©2005 Myra Kornfeld, The Healthy Hedonist  published by Simon & Schuster

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