Curry-spiced lentils with cheese hot cakes
This savoury hot cakes dish with spiced lentils would be perfect for a late brunch or lunch. Use your favourite spices and cheese for this delightful recipe.
Ingredients
For the spiced lentils
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- drizzle oil, plus extra for frying
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 pinch chilli powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú tinned green lentils (or dried green lentils soaked overnight)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese hot cakes
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cottage cheese
- 80g/2¾oz strong cheddar or Parmesan, grated
- 1 free-range egg, separated
- 2–3 tsp smoked paprika
- 25g/1oz self-raising flour
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú spinach
- splash lemon juice (fresh or from a bottle)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the spiced lentils, sweat the onion, celery and garlic with the drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the spices and bay and cook for a few minutes. Add the lentils with just enough water to cover them. Simmer for 25–30 minutes until soft, adding more water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the hot cakes, mix the cheeses, egg yolk, paprika and flour together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour boiling water over the spinach in a colander and then run under cold water immediately. Squeeze the water from the spinach and roughly chop. Add to the cheese mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white with the splash of lemon until it holds soft peaks. Fold into the cheese mixture.
Place a well-oiled frying pan over a medium heat and drop in half the batter. Cook until golden-brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve the hot cakes with the curried lentils.
