South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita
By LRay
Recipes & Menus | recipes
South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita
At Philadelphia’s Bindi, legumes and rice are soaked, ground with herbs and spices, then formed into patties and pan-fried to make these cakes.
2-4 servings
Recipe by Marcie Turney of Bindi in Philadelphia, PA
Photograph by Diane Fields
September 2011
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño
- 1/2 teaspoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation
Raita
Preheat oven to 450°. Cut top 1/2" off head of garlic; discard. Place garlic on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Squeeze cloves from skins, keeping cloves intact.
Stir cumin in a small dry skillet over medium heat until deep brown, 2-3 minutes. Let cool. Finely grind in a spice mill.
Mix yogurt, cucumber, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir in cumin. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
Lentil Cakes
Rinse legumes; place in a medium bowl with rice. Add water to cover by 3". Let legumes and rice soak at room temperature for 3-5 hours.
Drain legumes and rice; transfer to a food processor. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño. Process until grainy paste forms (add 1-2 tablespoons water if necessary). Transfer to a large bowl; mix in tendrils and next 6 ingredients.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon 4 scant 1/4-cupfuls of batter into skillet, flattening with the back of a measuring cup into 1/4"-thick cakes. Reduce heat to medium; sauté until golden brown and cooked through, adding 1 more tablespoon oil when cakes are flipped, about 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and batter. Divide raita among plates; top with roasted garlic cloves. Place 2 cakes on each plate.
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