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

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

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from bonappetit.com

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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