Lentil and carrot pancakes with yogurt sauce, golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside
Para 4 1 €/pers. 130 kcal/100g.
- For the pancakes:
- 400g of cooked lentils, very well drained
- 200g of carrots (about 2 medium ones)
- 80g of spring onion (about 2 small ones)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 medium egg
- 60g of breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (about 2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika (approx. 1 g)
- 10g of chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil for the pan
- For the yogurt sauce:
- 200g of unsweetened natural Greek yogurt
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 5g of chopped fresh parsley
- 5 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- Shall
- If using homemade cooked lentils, let them cool and drain them thoroughly. If using canned lentils, you can rinse them and then let them sit in a colander for a few minutes; in this recipe, it's important to remove the liquid because wet lentils soften the dough. We explain in detail on the blog what happens with canned legumes and their liquid.
- Peel the carrots and grate them using the coarse side of a grater. Wrap them in a clean cloth and squeeze out some of the water. Finely chop the spring onions and garlic. The carrots should be moist, not dry, but not dripping wet when pressed with your fingers.
- Place the lentils in a large bowl and mash about a third of them with a fork. Leave the rest whole. This creates a base that binds the mixture while maintaining the legume's texture. This same idea of not over-mashing works very well in other lentil and vegetable dishes.
- Add the carrot, spring onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, cumin, sweet paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix with a spatula or your hands just until everything is evenly distributed. Do not knead as if it were bread dough.
- Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb some of the moisture and the dough will firm up. Take a generous spoonful and squeeze it between your hands: if it holds its shape without sticking too much, it's ready. If it's still too soft, add an extra spoonful of breadcrumbs and wait a couple more minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 similar portions, form balls, and flatten them into discs about 6 cm in diameter and 1-1.5 cm thick. They don't need to be perfect: a slightly irregular edge looks more natural and won't affect baking.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with some of the extra virgin olive oil. Cook four pancakes at a time. Working in three batches prevents the pan from cooling down and allows the pancakes to finish cooking in their own steam.
- We leave the first side of the pancakes for 3 to 4 minutes without moving them. When the edges are firm and the bottom is golden brown, we flip them with a spatula and cook the second side for about 3 minutes. If we try to flip them before a crust has formed, they break much more easily. We repeat with the rest, adding a little oil as needed.
- We remove each batch to a wire rack instead of piling them on a plate. This allows the steam to escape and keeps the outside drier and more golden brown while we finish the next batch of pancakes.
- Mix the Greek yogurt with the juice of half a lemon, a little zest, finely grated garlic, parsley, 5 ml of oil, and a pinch of salt. It should be thick, fresh, and slightly acidic, not runny. Serve the pancakes hot or warm with the sauce on the side.
With cooked legumes, there are two fairly easy ways to ruin a pancake: turn it into a textureless puree or leave it so whole that it won't stand up. In these lentil pancakes, we aim for just the right balance. We mash only part of the lentils, leaving the rest recognizable so the batter has some body, but also a more interesting bite.
The carrot adds sweetness and moisture, although it also draws water into the mixture. That's why it's best to grate it and squeeze it well before mixing. The egg and breadcrumbs bind the dough, which should be firm enough to handle without slipping or cracking. Then, a pan over medium heat and patience: the first side needs to form a crust before you touch it.
This recipe also fits perfectly into our collection of sweet and savory pancakes and crepes. To serve it, instead of overloading the plate with more ingredients, we make a simple yogurt sauce with lemon, garlic, and parsley. The contrast between the warm pancake and the cold sauce pairs especially well with the lentils and cumin.
