Turmeric Lentil Fritters Tomato Greens Bowl with Tahini Dill Sauce. Baked Seedy Golden Lentil fritters with greens, tomatoes and a tahini sauce make an easy Lunch bowl. Vegan Nut-free Soy-free Recipe. Easily Glutenfree.
These seedy lentil fritters are amazingly easy. Cook the lentils with turmeric and spices, fold in some spinach or greens, add seeds like chia, flax, sesame or hemp or other of choice, chill, scoop into bite size fritters, bake and done.
The lentils when cooked make a wet mixture, which bakes up perfectly into crisp on the outside Golden fritters, soft and flavorful on the inside. I use a cookie scoop to make the fritters as it takes just 5 minutes without any mess. Tahini dill sauce complements these fritters incredibly well. Some juicy tomatoes and baby greens make this bowl an amazing meal. I eat up those fritters right off the baking sheet with the dill sauce, they are so good! so you might want to double the recipe. You can also make wraps with these life a falafel wrap. Some crunchy lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fritters and sauce in a warm pita bread.
If you make these. do let me know in the comments how you liked them.
Try these lentil recipes
Cook the onion and garlic. Add spices and lentils and roast for a bit.
Add spinach and fold in.
Add seeds and mix in.
Chill for 15 mins. Add breadcrumbs if needed. Use a scoop to place equal size balls on parchment lined sheet.
Bake, cool and serve over a bowl of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers with tahini dill sauce.
Turmeric Lentil Fritters Tomato Bowl with Tahini Dill Sauce
Ingredients
Seedy Lentil Fritters:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup (80 g) onion
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/3 tsp (0.33 tsp) ground cardamom
- 1/3 tsp (0.33 tsp) or more cayenne
- 1/2 cup (90 g) red lentils masoor dal, washed and drained
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) water
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 tbsp parsley or 1 tsp dried
- 1/2 cup (15 g) packed chopped spinach
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp flax seed meal or more chia seeds
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs or use flour, glutenfree breadcrumbs or flour for gf
Tahini Dill Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (60 g) tahini
- 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) dried dill
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) cayenne
Bowl
- Greens or lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes & cucumbers
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent. 4 to 5 mins. Stir occasionally.
- Add all the spices and drained lentils. mix and cook for a minute.
- Add salt and water and cook for 11 minutes partially covered. Uncover, fold in spinach and parlsey and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and all the liquid is absorbed. The mixture will be soft. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
- Add chia seeds, flax seeds sesame or hemp seeds and mix in. Chill the lentil mixture for half an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425 deg F / 220ºc. Mix in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in the lentil mixture. If it is too sticky, add some flour. The mixture will be soft but should get easily shaped into soft balls without too much sticking or squishing.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the lentil mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet. Spray oil on the balls. I usually sprinkle some sesame seeds on the fritters. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Blend everything under tahini sauce. Taste and adjust salt and tang (lemon). For a garlicky dressing mix in 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
- Assemble the bowl with greens, juicy tomatoes or cucumbers, and as many Lentil fritters as you like. Drizzle dressing generously.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Elisa says
January 4, 2017 at 5:39 amThese look lovely, Richa, thank you. I love the use of dill! These look like they would make a great snack to have in the fridge. Will be making them ASAP
Richa says
January 5, 2017 at 11:03 amtotally. i usually serve them with the dressing to snack on int he evening.
Beryl waxler says
January 5, 2017 at 1:13 amHi
I have your book and so many of your recipes on your web site are not in this book .i ordered the latest one again which turned out the same as the first one .so sent it back.please tell me how I can get theese recipes you say buy my book but the recipes are just not in there!.
Richa says
January 5, 2017 at 11:04 amHi Beryl,
Publishers dont want to publish books with all recipes that are available on the blog, so there are a few in my current book but most are new recipes. The next book will have more recipes from the blog, so watch out for that one. It will get listed on amazon in a month.
Gabrielle M Wald says
January 5, 2017 at 2:12 pmHi Richa,
Can I use brown lentils instead?
Thank you and I love your recipes!
Gaby
Richa says
January 5, 2017 at 8:20 pmYes you can. You will need more water and they will cook in about 30 to 35 mins.
Jennifer says
June 26, 2020 at 9:25 pmDo the lentils have to be soaked over night first?
Vegan Richa Support says
June 28, 2020 at 1:34 pmno
Soggy balls says
January 5, 2017 at 5:24 pmAre you sure these only take 20 minutes to bake?
Richa says
January 5, 2017 at 8:18 pmyes they bake up like falafels. moist inside and set outside. you can bake longer if they are still too moist or squishy.
K says
January 6, 2017 at 2:28 amCan I use canned lentils
Richa says
January 10, 2017 at 2:56 amit would need some adjustments like no liquid, more spices and less seeds. mash some of the lentils as well so that the fritters stick together.
Teresa says
March 17, 2017 at 5:53 pmI used to use only canned beans until I learned how super easy it is to do from “scratch”. I buy from the organic bean bins at my grocer. Way better. They pick up the flavor so much better as they absorb rather than already being saturated by water in the can.
Liza says
January 6, 2017 at 9:00 pmReporting on making these delicious fritters- used mix of chickpeas and black beans ( for the lack of lentils). Made double batch as recommended by the Master 🙂 Wonderful flavor and texture! Will definitely make again!
Richa says
January 6, 2017 at 9:26 pm🙂 Awesome!
Sue Halfyard says
January 8, 2017 at 12:33 amI made these last night – they are absolutely delicious. I served them on a bed of rice mixed with broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes and then the tahini sauce drizzled over. And, the good news is, I have some leftover for tonight 🙂 Thank you so much for your fantastic recipes – I bought your cookbook a couple of months ago and all of the recipes I have made have been a huge success – something that is very unusual with most recipe books, I find.
Kate Simpson says
January 9, 2017 at 12:20 amHi,
Thanks for this recipe.
wondering about a breadcrumb substitute. Keen to try these but want a GF option.
Richa says
January 10, 2017 at 2:54 amsome gluten-free flour will work or just some more seeds.
Rose says
January 9, 2017 at 10:41 amI just made these and thank goodness I had the foresight to make a double batch – DELICIOUS!! I coated mine with a little panko for extra crunch. Next time, might add a little garam masala to the mix. Will definitely make them again – thank you so much!!
Laura says
January 12, 2017 at 3:31 pmThis was delicious! We used cucumber and spinach instead of tomatoes and it was perfect. Crumbled some leftover feta on it as well, mmmm. Thanks Richa! Your recipes are always amazing.
Emily says
January 13, 2017 at 2:27 pmThese were just perfect for lunch today! so easy and so flavorful!
Evan says
January 14, 2017 at 7:07 pmThese were so great. Easy and tasty! I don’t know if I should feel good or not that I ate the whole recipe in one sitting????
Richa says
January 14, 2017 at 9:32 pmAwesome! It makes a great meal 🙂
Cairlinn says
January 16, 2017 at 12:31 pmThey look good 🙂 I wonder if you can freeze them (before baking)? I like to put small portions of this and that into my lunch and two or three of them would fit in well.
Richa says
January 16, 2017 at 7:45 pmI would bake these for like 10 minutes so some of the excess moisture bakes out and they are not too squishy. and then freeze. Bake to reheat.
I think these will also freeze well already baked. Let me know which you prefer.
DogMa_SuZ says
January 19, 2017 at 6:30 pmThis recipe was beyond amazing! My Husband was not sure that he would, when I told him what was for dinner and after he finished eating, the first thing he said was, we should have that EVERY week! I kinda agree. Totally loved it!
Richa says
January 19, 2017 at 11:43 pmyay! Fabulous!
Di says
January 19, 2017 at 7:59 pmJust wondering what brand of cookware you use?
Richa says
January 19, 2017 at 11:45 pmThere is no one brand really. I have some anodized pans by Cusiineart’s Green Gourmet line which are PFOA free, 2 cast iron pans, a ceramic coated pan from wearever.
Di says
January 20, 2017 at 3:42 pmThanks for that. I’ll look into the Green Gourmet line, see if that’s available here in Australia. I’m surprised you use cast iron pans given the research of Dr Neal Barnard (PCRM president) and cast iron’s link to dementia (like aluminum).
Richa says
January 20, 2017 at 4:31 pmI missed that. My do suggested cast iron for improving my blood iron values since i am generally low(genetics). We use the cast iron for burgers and pancakes. Maybe we will use it even more infrequently.
Aimee Mars says
February 21, 2017 at 5:04 amThis is such a pretty dish! I’d love to eat this for lunch every day.
Inci @ Bella's Apron says
February 21, 2017 at 5:22 amYum! my mother used to make lentil fritters but hers were a little more flat. Either way you make them she loved to add tumeric also. This looks fantastic and I will definately be giving it a try!
Teresa says
March 17, 2017 at 5:50 pmIs there a way to get your calorie count including fat/carb/protein for each recipe? Would love that.
Richa says
March 17, 2017 at 10:51 pmyou can copy the recipe into myfitnespal or caloriecounter. I am looking for someone to do the nutritional calculations of the recipes, so hopefully recipes should have the values later this year.
Renee Wallace says
March 28, 2017 at 12:43 amI substituted the breadcrumbs for Chickpea flour and it worked really well.
M says
April 18, 2017 at 6:23 pmWould fresh dill work in the tahini sauce?
Richa says
May 19, 2017 at 10:19 pmyes
Dominique says
April 20, 2017 at 2:54 pmTonight will be the fourth time I’ve made this recipe. It’s fabulous. It took me a while to get all the stuff – the cookie scoop, the oil mister etc. However this is one of the most satisfying salad recipes ever.
Thanks!
Richa says
April 20, 2017 at 6:26 pmThats awesome! You can use hands to make the balls too. it just takes longer.
Dominique says
April 22, 2017 at 2:46 pmBut the cookie scoop is the most amazing invention ever! In 40 yrs of cooking I never used one!
vasudha says
April 23, 2017 at 2:38 pmDelicious!
Richa says
April 23, 2017 at 4:36 pmThanks!
Simply Prima says
May 20, 2017 at 6:27 amThese are fantastic! Best to make at least a double batch.
Alicia Horsman says
January 2, 2018 at 6:11 pmSo delicious! Light and filling.
Ace says
April 9, 2018 at 8:19 pmWould yellow lentils or whole mung work instead??
Richa says
April 10, 2018 at 10:33 amboth would work. cooking time would vary. I would prefer moong dal as it will cook faster than whole mung and also look better. Just cook the dal until al dente and proceed
Ace says
April 10, 2018 at 5:39 pmAwesome thanks! And just stove top cook right? NO pressure cook?
Richa says
April 10, 2018 at 5:42 pmyes, moong dal will take 20-25 mins to cook. whole mung would need pressure cooking or about 50 mins on stove top
R says
April 18, 2018 at 1:35 pmreally great!! tasted even better than it looks 🙂
Richa says
April 18, 2018 at 2:07 pmawesome!
Maneesha says
May 9, 2018 at 5:09 amHi Richa! I made these last night, and it was amazing! So flavorful! My husband and I LOVED them! I loved the addition of the tahini dressing! Soooo delicious!! Thanks, Richa!
Teresa says
May 18, 2018 at 5:17 amThese are so tasty, I’ve been enjoying them in wraps with hummus, tomato, and cucumber.
Richa says
May 18, 2018 at 8:20 amawesome!
Denise J. says
May 26, 2018 at 10:27 amHi Richa:
I made this recipe for dinner yesterday and……they were delicious! I used kale in place of spinach, because that’s what I had available. Served it over a bed of greens with tomato 😍 We love tahini, so the dressing was perfect!!
We’ll enjoy the leftovers in a salad or wrap (love leftovers!!)
Because we have a smaller fridge, I opted not to chill – instead, I spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and tossed it around a few times.
I’ve always been very happy with your recipes, whether online or in your books. Thanks for sharing this winner!
Richa says
May 26, 2018 at 11:09 amAwesome! So glad you are loving all the dishes you have tried so far!
Wim says
July 9, 2018 at 2:23 pmCan I deep fry these fritters instead of baking them in the oven?
Richa says
July 9, 2018 at 5:41 pmYes. You might need additional breadcrumbs to bind well so they dont disintegrate (depends on moisture content and how well they are shaped).Pack well and shape into smooth fritters for frying.
Kellie Monibidor says
August 30, 2018 at 12:43 pmCould you put the breadcrumbs in the list of ingredients? I was half way through making this when I realized I needed them, but didn’t have them.
Richa says
August 30, 2018 at 1:44 pmsure, you can also use flour
Sarah says
September 15, 2018 at 7:52 pmHi Richa! I’m making these for my meal prep next week for the first time and am very much looking toward to it. Question for you – do you think almond flour would work in place of bread crumbs? Thanks! 🙂
Richa says
September 15, 2018 at 11:23 pmyou might need more almond flour and that will change the texture. maybe use a mix of almond and rice or oat flours
Kimberly K Parekh says
September 29, 2018 at 12:56 pmI made this today and it turned out really really well! For me, though, it took much longer to actually cook the masoor dal. Perhaps I should have put my stove on medium high heat. Also, the recipe above doesn’t mention when to put the lemon juice into the dal mixture, so I just threw it at some point. I’m definitely saving this recipe.
Richa says
September 29, 2018 at 2:23 pmThanks. Time does vary depending on the stove, pan, or the age of the dal you are using. Lemon goes in towards the end.
Sarla says
October 8, 2018 at 4:01 pmHey! All I have is a microwave that can also be used as a grill would it do the job? Or do I just shallow fry them? This is what happens when you live in dorms 🙁
Richa says
October 8, 2018 at 5:52 pmmake the mixture and see how well it holds up and decide to grill or shallow fry accordingly. The moisture content varies, so if you make nice packed balls, then can be grilled, or pan fried. Loose wettish balls cant be grilled
Jennifer says
April 7, 2019 at 9:18 pmThanks for another great recipe. Yours are always reliably delicious!
Had this in a bowl along with roasted eggplant, red onion, and sweet potatoes as well as shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and quinoa. I thought the dill sauce ended up being too watery (I’d use less water next time), so I mixed it with some garlic cashew cream I already had on hand.
Richa says
April 7, 2019 at 10:38 pmawesome!, use less water in the dressing.Tahini consistency varies over brands. so add a bit at a time
Sarah says
April 22, 2019 at 5:07 pmmade this recipe and love it! the lentil fritters are easy to make and taste great! i love the hint of cardamom (my fave spice) that comes through too. made a dbl batch and i know it won’t last long.
any other red lentil recipes you can recommend? thank you!!
Richa says
April 22, 2019 at 5:15 pmyay!
Andi says
May 13, 2019 at 3:59 pmMade this from the book and it was delicious!! So good. Fritters were crispy on outside and soft and moist on inside. Dressing was perfection! Keep up the great work!
Richa says
May 13, 2019 at 7:19 pmyay!
Sara Valentine says
June 27, 2019 at 12:08 pmAwesome – almost like falafels but different with all the spices! Will definitley make this again!
Teri says
July 24, 2019 at 12:34 pmCould I substitute the toasted sesame seeds with more chia seeds and flax? Or something else?
Richa says
July 24, 2019 at 1:44 pmyes add more chia seeds or just omit
Caroline says
December 27, 2019 at 1:59 pmHi, this sounds very promising but wondering if it can be made as a loaf instead?
Richa says
December 27, 2019 at 2:04 pmyes, the fritter mixture can be baked into a loaf. Bake for 30 mins, then check
Cheryl Eastburn says
January 8, 2020 at 7:05 pmI just made these for dinner tonight, I doubled the recipe and wish that I tripled it. Barely enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. So tasty!!!
Richa says
January 8, 2020 at 7:26 pmawesome!
Caroline says
January 18, 2020 at 6:24 amI made this as a loaf. It was easy and flavourful!
Cassandra Mitchell says
April 29, 2020 at 12:17 pmI made these for dinner the other night using green lentils, because that is what I had on hand. They were delicious! My husband, who is not a fan of lentils, even liked them and said I should make them, again.
Vegan Richa Support says
April 29, 2020 at 1:00 pmThat’s awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Jennifer says
June 27, 2020 at 10:30 pmI was looking for a way to incorporate the health benefits of lentils into my vegetarian diet… BUT .. I’m not a chef at ALL – I can barely make a bowl of pasta- but I really enjoyed making this and enjoyed eating it even more (I put it and it’s fixings in a low carb tortilla).
I also am not a huge fan of onions and garlic, but still find that they’re are necessary for a good taste in most recipes- so I just minimized the quantity a lot (2 cloves of garlic and a bit less than 1/4 cup of onion: I actually used shallot. ) I also minced both other these so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed by a taste a large chuck of either. Haha
It worked out super well and I will definitely be adding this to my meal rotation 🙂
Vegan Richa Support says
June 28, 2020 at 1:10 pmlentil fritters are more advanced than pasta. good stuff. Thank you Jennifer
Luciana says
August 3, 2020 at 6:13 pmI made this recipe today and they are very good, hot or cold. My carnivore husband wanted to try and he likes them too; he even suggested to make a flatbread with the dough to use it as a pizza base. I didn’t have tahini, I made a sauce with coconut plain yogurt, salt, garlic powder and fresh dill. I had the fritters with a similar salad as yours, but I added red cabbage and red onion. The plate looked very pretty. I will definitely make this recipe often and I may trying using the dough in a sandwich once it has been chilled.
Sandra says
September 3, 2020 at 11:10 amEating this right now. It’s REALLY good. If you don’t like heat, back off the cayenne a bit in the dressing. Thanks, Richa!
Martina says
January 22, 2021 at 10:40 pmThe flavors in this are fantastic, with or without the tahini sauce. I love it!
Vegan Richa Support says
January 25, 2021 at 12:12 pmyay! thanks for popping in and taking the time to review
ks says
June 20, 2021 at 12:53 pmwhat can i use instead of tahini?
Richa says
June 20, 2021 at 7:10 pmFor the dressing? Use any other dressing like vegan ranch