Red lentil and carrot fritters

Ingredients

• Red lentils (dry)140g
• Carrots (raw)180g
• Wheat flour (dry)40g
• Eggs (raw)1 pieces
• Plain yogurt (raw)100g
• Lemon juice (raw)15ml
• Ground cumin (dry)2g
• Recipe water (raw)400ml
• Olive oil (raw)15ml
• Salt (dry)3g
• Black pepper (dry)1g

Method

1. Rinse 140g red lentils. Cover with 400ml recipe water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15–20 minutes until soft but not a thin soup. Drain through a fine sieve for 5 minutes, pressing gently to remove liquid; spread on a plate to stop steaming.
2. Grate 180g carrots coarsely and squeeze out excess juice. Mix with the drained lentils, 40g wheat flour, beaten 1 pieces eggs, 2g ground cumin, 3g salt and 1g black pepper. Rest for 5 minutes. The mixture should hold a mound; if loose, press out more liquid rather than adding unmeasured flour.
3. Heat 15ml olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, reserving some of the measured oil for later batches. Form small 6cm-wide, 1cm-thick fritters. Fry for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden, firm and cooked through; turn only after the underside releases. Lower heat if the outside browns before the centre sets.
4. Stir 100g plain yogurt with 15ml lemon juice. Divide the fritters evenly and serve with the cold dip. For 1 serving beat the egg first and use half its edible quantity; for larger batches keep fritters small and repeat the frying stage.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 or 2 servings, use a smaller pan and check early; keep the stated cut sizes. For 4 servings use a broad pan or uncrowded trays; for 8 split every ingredient evenly into two 4-serving batches (more if the pan or pot capacity requires it). Keep pans below 80% full and vegetables in one layer when browning. Repeat the cooking and doneness checks for each batch; elapsed time increases for sequential batches. Serve promptly. Cool any extra cooked food in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Keep the fridge at 4°C or below. Reheat cooked leftovers evenly to 74°C, checking several places with a food thermometer. Keep raw garnishes and cold yogurt or tahini sauces separate and use them cold within their label limits.