Lowri I’d go so far as to say that these vegan lentil koftas are nothing short of revolutionary. As a healthy alternative to the standard meat-loaded kebab, they are exciting, enticing and totally delicious!
Make a change
Due to our typically nomadic lifestyle, Rhys and I found ourselves turning to more plant-based recipes when cooking for ourselves. Particularly when living vanlife with limited refrigeration.
We find it fun to experiment, plus there’s all the other benefits that come with reducing your meat intake.
Our vegan lentil koftas have evolved over the years and they have become, incredibly, quite the crowd pleaser. I’ve even managed to convince some slightly stubborn friends, who are a little less open-minded about lentils. I’d definitely call that a win!
Love your lentils
We go mad for lentils in pretty much any shape or form: in dahls, tacos, stews, as ‘meatballs’. Still, we think these lentil koftas may well steal the crown.
What makes this lentil recipe so good? It’s the whole ensemble!
The koftas are crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and packed full of flavour. The tzatziki provides a zingy punch of garlic. The crunchy lettuce and tomato bring freshness. A pillowy-soft flatbread wraps all this goodness together so you can be sure of an epic mouthful, every bite.
Trust me, you need to try this.
Vegan Lentil Koftas Ingredients
This lentil recipe is surprisingly simple to make. There are a few processes along the way, but the end result is well worth the effort. And it doesn’t take that long! The initially daunting 2+ hour prep time suggested is due to the lengthy time to soak the lentils.
With our lentil koftas we include a simple tzatziki recipe as it’s an essential accompaniment.
Note that to keep the tzatziki recipe vegan you can simply use a soya or plant-based yogurt for the base. Another good alternative is toum (a Lebanese garlic sauce).
These lentil kofta ingredients should all be easily accessible at your local supermarket.
How to Make Vegan Lentil Koftas
The first step is to soak your red lentils for at least two hours. In the meantime, make the tzatziki.
Grate the cucumber, then squeeze through a tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Add to yogurt, pressed garlic, lemon juice and finely chopped mint. Mix then add salt and pepper to taste.
For the koftas, fry finely diced red onion and garlic along with the ground spices and optional chilli flakes.
While cooling, drain and dry the lentils before blitzing in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the fried mixture and chopped herbs.
Shape the lentil mixture into 12 cylindrical ‘kofta’ shapes.
Fry in two batches of six, then return all koftas to the pan to heat through.
The last step is simply to assemble.
We’re sure you’ll go mad for these lentil koftas!
They make an epic dinner or stand-out party food if scaled down (serve mini tortillas with one kofta per person).
Vegan Lentil Koftas
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Food processor
- Grater
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Vegan Lentil Koftas
- 200 g red lentils
- 1 red onion 3/4 finely diced (reserve 1/4 below for garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp red chilli flakes optional
- handful of parsley
- handful of mint leaves only, stems discarded
- 3 tbsp oil rapeseed or sunflower
- 1 tsp salt + pepper
Garnish
- baby gem lettuce or other crispy variety, finely sliced
- 2 salad tomatoes thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion finely sliced
- fresh coriander optional
- hot sauce optional
Tzatziki
- 100 g plain Greek yogurt
- 100 g cucumber ~1/3 whole cucumber
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- ½ lemon juiced
- 5-6 sprigs of mint leaves only, stems discarded
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the lentils and then cover with cold water in a bowl to soak for 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain lentils through a sieve ensuring to remove as much water as possible. Place sieve on a tea towel to drain further.During this process, make tzatziki and prep other ingredients.
- For the tzatziki, grate the cucumber then squeeze with a tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Add to the yogurt, pressed garlic, lemon juice and finely chopped mint. Mix, then add salt + pepper to taste.
- For the koftas, finely dice ¾ red onion, press the garlic and finely chop the mint and parsley. Fry the onion in 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and chilli flakes (if using). Fry for 2 more minutes adding a little more oil if necessary. Set mixture aside to cool.
- Transfer the drained lentils into a food processor and blitz until smooth. In a bowl, combine the pureed lentils with the fried spice mixture and chopped herbs. Add salt + pepper (~1tsp each).
- Divide the lentil mixture into four portions (~50g each). From each portion, mould three cylindrical koftas with your hands, gently placing on a plate once shaped.
- In a non-stick frying pan, cook the lentil koftas in two batches of six. Fry each batch in 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes.Use your hands or a spatula to gently roll them over so not to damage or break them. Once the second batch are cooked add the earlier batch back in to warm through.
- Heat your flatbreads according to package instructions and then assemble your lentil kofta 'kebabs' as desired.
Notes
- Substitute the Greek yogurt for a soya or plant-based alternative to make the tzatziki vegan also.
- The remaining ingredients are not really interchangeable other than the salad garnish which can be altered as preferred.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag us @jacksonajourney on Instagram so we can see your creations!
Please also share any useful feedback or comments if you made this vegetarian recipe or let us know if you have any questions.
