Red Lentil Patties with Cilantro Sauce

Beans are a wonderful source of fiber and aid with lowering of cholesterol. Add a salad to these patties and you have a complete vegan meal.

Patties:
1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed
½ cup red lentils, rinsed
½ tsp turmeric
¾ tsp sea salt
3 tbls plus 1 tsp light sesame oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups finely chopped onions
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes
¼ cup arrowroot powder

Cilantro Sauce:
1 cup cilantro
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 jalapeno chili pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
¼ tsp sea salt

To make the patties:
1. Place rice and lentil into a medium saucepan with 4 cups water, turmeric, and salt. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer, without stirring, until the water is absorbed, about 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbls of oil in a medium-size non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the cumin and cook stirring frequently, for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Add the red pepper. Remove from heat and add to the lentils and rice. Combine will. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and let stand until cool. About 20 minutes.

3. Spread the arrowroot on a large plate. Form the lentil-rice mixture into 8 patties. Evenly coat the patties with the arrowroot and set aside until ready to cook.

4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 4 patties until golden, about 2 –5 minutes per side. Heat the remaining 2 tsp of oil and repeat for the remaining patties. Serve warm, drizzled with Cilantro Sauce.

To make the Sauce:
Put the cilantro, coconut milk, lemon juice, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, and sea salt into a blender. Blend until smooth. Makes 4 servings.

Note: I enjoy this sauce so much I like to make a double recipe and use it as a dressing or as a topping to fish