Carrot, Red Lentil and Sesame Bites

A new recipe for dinner! Packed with the protein of red lentils, this was a hit with the whole family. Served with pad thai and a salad this made for a tasty dinner.

CARROT, RED LENTIL AND SESAME BITES

Ingredients:
125 grams red lentils
30 grams onion, very finely chopped
100 grams mature half-fat vegetarian Cheddar cheese, grated
150 grams bread crumbs
35 grams sesame seeds
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. caster sugar
salt and black pepper, to taste
oil for frying (unless baking)

Preparation:

1. Wash the lentils and put in a medium pan with about 500 ml water. Bring to the boil then simmer slowly, stirring quite frequently, until the lentils have become a puree and the mixture is quite dry. Make sure that the lentils are cooked before the mixture dries out. Do not let them burn on the bottom of the pan! Spread out on a plate to cool.
2. Mix the cooled lentils with the onion, grated carrots, grated cheese, and 40g of the bread crumbs. Season with the sugar, a pinch of sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
3. Mix the remaining breadcrumbs with the sesame seeds. Beat the eggs with 2 T. water. form the carrot and lentil mixture into balls, about 3cm across, using about 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of the mixture each. Dip each one in the beaten egg and coat with the bread crumb and sesame mix then flatten slightly. Put the coated bites on the plate or two in a single layer and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan and gently fry the bites for about three minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold with sweet chili sauce to dip into.