Vegetarian Lentil Kababs - Simple to Make in AirFryer

Soak and sprout dried lentils. Coarsely grind lentils, celery, zucchini and green bell pepper and microwave the mixture for 6-7 min. Mince onion, green chilli and ginger, cook with a few drops of oil in the microwave. Mix together the cooked lentil-vegetable mixture and onion mixture; add seasonings, cottage cheese and roasted cracked wheat. Divide mixture into 10-12 portions and shape each into a patty. Roast the patties in the AirFryer, brushing the tops with a little oil. Flip and air-fry till browned. Serve hot with sliced onions, lime/lemon wedge and mint chutney. Enjoy!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Soaking and sprouting time for lentils 1 13

Total Time 1 13 50

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian, North-Indian

Servings people

Calories 167 kcal

Equipment

Electric food chopper/food processor; if not available, a blender is OK - use pulse action to prevent over-grinding. Non-electric, manual food mill OK too.
Microwave oven; if not available, use shallow pan on stove-top (see Recipe Notes for detailed directions)
AirFryer; if not available, traditional convection oven OK (see Recipe Notes for detailed directions); if not available, OK to pan-fry on stove-top (see Recipe Notes for detailed directions)
Parchment paper to line AirFryer basket, or baking tray if using convection oven. If not available, will need to use more oil to prevent sticking.
Wire cooling rack for cooked patties, to prevent becoming soggy on bottom.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Dried Whole Lentils any variety OK: green, brown, black; wash, soak and sprout - about 1¼ cups sprouted; if using unsprouted lentils (makes about 1 cup after soaking), use ¼ cup extra Zucchini- see note under Zucchini
1/2 cup Celery - sliced/diced medium about 1 medium-sized stick; if not available, use extra Zucchini instead.
½ cup Green Bell Pepper - diced medium (optional) remove seeds
1 cup Zucchini - peeled and diced medium about 1 small medium Zucchini; if not available, use other mild-flavored squash: e.g., yellow summer squash, Dudhi (Lauki), etc. ; if using unsprouted lentils, use extra ¼ cup Zucchini (i.e., 1¼ cups total)
¼ cup Carrots - diced medium (optional)
½ cup Onions - diced medium any variety OK - red, yellow, white
1 whole Green chilli - sliced I used de-seeded Serrano pepper - any other spicy green chilli OK- adjust spiciness as per personal preference
1 tbsp Ginger - chopped about one 1/2 inch (1 cm) piece
1 tbsp Garlic (optional) - chopped about 2-3 medium cloves
½ tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Oil - a few drops I like peanut oil; other mild-flavored oil OK too
¼ cup Cottage cheese small curd preferred; if not available, OK to use use Paneer, Queso Fresco, Queso Blanco, fresh Farmers Cheese, etc.
1 tbsp Dried Mint leaves (Spearmint) crush gently before measuring; if using fresh mint - chop leaves finely, use 2-3 tbsp
2 tsp Fennel powder freshly ground preferred - flavor decreases when ground seeds are stored for long
1 tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Garam Masala powder
½ tsp Amchur dried green mango powder - adds tartness; if not available, OK to use Anardana Powder, Sumac powder, or sour grape powder; or add 2 tsp fresh lime/lemon juice
½ tsp Salt adjust as per preference
½ tsp Chaat Masala If not available, ok to omit, or add 1/4 tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak) - gives a very didtinctive flavor to the Kababs
2 tbsp Cracked wheat - toasted also called Bulgur, Wheat Dalia; if not available, see Recipe Notes for alternative ingredients
1 tbsp Oil for brushing on the Kababs while grilling; I like using Peanut oil because of its high smoke-point and heat stability; ok to use other mild-flavored oil, preferably with high smoke point.

Garnish and accompaniments

¼ cup Fresh Coriander leaves (Cilantro) - chopped rinse carefully to remove dirt/soil; towel-dry briefly before chopping
1 cup Onions - sliced lengthwise 1 medium onion - red preferred, but yellow/white OK too
1 whole lime/lemon - sliced or cut into wedges
½ cup Fresh mint chutney - spicy and tart Home-made or store-bought; if not available, green coriander chutney OK too

Instructions

Place the sprouted lentils in a bowl of water for 8-10 min. The lentils dry out a bit during sprouting, and soaking them briefly helps to re-hydrate and freshen them.
When ready to grind the lentils, drain them in a colander and rinse under running water. Allow to stand for a few min, then give it a little shake, to allow excess water to drain off.
While the lentil sprouts soak in water, prep the vegetables.
Slice and dice the celery, zucchini and bell pepper (if using - not shown in this pic).
Transfer the lentils and vegetables to a chopper or food processor and chop-grind to a slightly coarse texture.
Note: If using a blender instead of a chopper/food processor, pulse-chop in small batches - do not add any water while chopping.
Spread out the ground lentil-vegetable mixture on a glass or ceramic microwave-safe dinner plate. Microwave, uncovered, on Hi for 6-7 minutes.
The mixture will become partially cooked and some of the excess moisture evaporates as well. This makes it easy to shape into Kababs and also ensures that the lentils get properly cooked during baking, and don't leave a "raw" taste.
If you prefer to do this step on the stove-top, please see Recipe Notes for detailed directions.
While the lentil-vegetable mixture cooks, slice and dice the carrots. Chop in the food chopper.
Chopped carrots
Cook the carrots : microwave on Hi 2 min
If you prefer to do this on the stove-top, please see Recipe Notes for directions.
Meanwhile, slice and dice the onions, green chillies and ginger. Chop/mince in the chopper.
Minced onions, ginger, green chillies
Transfer the minced onions-ginger-green chillies mixture to a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and salt (less than ⅛ tsp each) a few drops of oil (about ¼ tsp), stir and microwave, uncovered, on Hi for 2 min.
If you prefer to do this on the stove-top, please see Recipe Notes for directions.
The picture shows how it looks after 2 min of cooking.
Continue to cook a bit longer, 1-2 min until the onions start to get a little browned.
Lightly browned onions.
Meanwhile, roast the cracked wheat in a shallow pan on medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until toasted and lightly browned all over.
The roasted cracked wheat absorbs some of the moisture from the vegetables, and gives the Kababs a crispy nuttiness when baked.
Roasted cracked wheat.
Transfer the lentil-vegetable mixture, onions and carrots (if using) to a mixing bowl.
Add cottage cheese (or your preferred vegan substitute) and all the seasonings: salt, dried mint, cumin, fennel, Garam Masala, Amchur.
Add the roasted cracked wheat.
Mix everything well and set aside for about 10 min. This allows the cracked wheat to absorb some of the moisture and flavors.
Measure out 1/4 cup portions of mixture - this recipe yields 10-12 Kababs; shape each in your palms, squeezing lightly, to make thick round discs - about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.
These are now ready to cook in the AirFryer or oven. Follow the directions described below.

AirFryer Roasting

I have shown the arrangement for Instant Pot AirFryer (6 quart/liter size) in the picture. Your AirFryer basket may be bigger/smaller and accommodate more/less Kababs at one time. I had to do 2 batches, 5 Kababs per batch.
Set the AirFryer basket inside the stainless steel pot in the Instant Pot. Put the stainless steel plate (with holes) in place. Cover with the AirFryer lid. Start preheating the AirFryer - set it at 400F (200C) for 3 min.
When it beeps, remove lid and carefully place a parchment paper on the AirFryer steel plate. Brush lightly with oil and place the Kababs, not touching each other, on the parchment.
AirFry at 400F for 10 min. When it beeps for turning, remove the lid to check progress - but do not flip.
Replace the lid and let it finish the 10 min cycle.
Open the lid, and using a small, sturdy turner, loosen gently under the Kabab - it will be soft and a bit delicate to handle. Once fully loosened, pick it up on the turner and flip. Use a second turner or the back of a spoon to gently reshape and bind the Kababs, if need be.
AirFry again - 400F for 5-6 min. Check for top browning. If needed AirFry for another 2-3 min., until properly browned (but not burned!)
Transfer the cooked Kababs to a wire-cooling rack This will prevent them from becoming soggy while the 2nd batch is being cooked. Repeat the process to finish cooking the remaining Kababs.
While waiting for the Kababs to get cooked, prepare the accompaniments for serving.
Slice some onions lengthwise, Chop cilantro. Put out some spicy Mint Chutney. Cut up a lime/lemon, ready to squeeze on the onions and kababs.
Serve Kababs sizzling hot, on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by sliced onions squirted with lime/lemon juice and some Chaat Masala.
Enjoy!

Oven-Roasting

Preheat oven, set to 375 F (190 C)
Line a baking tray/cookie sheet (9''x 13'') with parchment paper. Place each Kabab over 3-4 drops of oil on the parchment, leaving some space between them. Add 3-4 drops of oil on top of each Kabab.
Bake on center rack for 15 min. Turn broiler on Lo and broil for 4-5 min to top-brown.
Remove tray from oven to flip the Kababs - place on trivets to protect your countertop. Use a slim, but sturdy spatula, to get underneath the Kababs and flip. Use a second spatula/turner to gently reshape /bind the Kababs if they start to fall apart during flipping.
Notice that they are partially browned already.
Put the tray back in the oven and broil for 5-6 min till crisped and browned. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
While waiting for the Kababs to get cooked, prepare the accompaniments for serving.
Slice some onions lengthwise, Chop cilantro. Put out some spicy Mint Chutney. Cut up a lime/lemon, ready to squeeze on the onions and kababs.
Serve Kababs sizzling hot, on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by sliced onions squirted with lime/lemon juice and some Chaat Masala.
Enjoy!

Soaking and and sprouting lentils

Follow these steps to sprout the lentils (and other whole beans/legumes as well).
First, sort through the lentils to check for and remove tiny stones, etc.
Place the lentils in a bowl. Add water and scrub gently: the water becomes a bit cloudy. Pour off the water and repeat 2-3 times until water runs mostly clear. Pour off the water - use a mesh colander if you like, to prevent losing any lentils.
Put the lentils back in the bowl (from the colander) and cover with water: for the 1/3 cup lentils used in this recipe, add 2/3 cup water for soaking. Cover and set on the counter 8-10 hours - overnight works very well.
The lentils will typically swell to about 3 times the original volume - to yield about 1 cup of soaked lentils from 1/3 cup dry lentils. Put the soaked lentils in a colander and rinse under running water, scrubbing gently. Place the colander on a plate and set aside for 5-10 min to drain residual water.
Place on an clean kitchen towel, in a heap at the center. I recommend using a dark colored towel; please do NOT use a white/light colored towel, it will likely become stained during sprouting and the stains are not easy to remove.
Wrap the lentils with the towel pick up one corner of the towel and fold over the lentils. Repeat with all 4 corners, so the lentils are fully enclosed in the towel.
Pick up the bundle carefully and place it back in the colander. Cover with a lid or plate. Set it aside at the back of the counter, undisturbed for at least 18-24 hours.
If you have a sunny/warm spot, place it there - it will sprout faster.
Carefully unfold the towel to take a peek. The lentils should have sprouted already - about 1/8 inch (2-3 mm) long - little white sprouted "tips", as shown in this picture with barely sprouted green lentils.
How long should the sprouted "tips" be before making Kababs? Your choice - just a tiny white tip, barely beginning to sprout, is fine, So, if you wish, you can start preparing the Kabab mixture with these barely sprouted lentils: go to Step 1 of the directions above.
However, if you want the sprouted tips to be longer, simply re-wrap the towel, sprinkle about 2 tbsp water on the towel, cover and leave it undisturbed for another 8-10 hours or so.
I like to wait for longer tips - to let the tips grow to about ¼ inch (½ cm) or longer - I think they taste better. Try it - do a little taste-test - the tips taste surprisingly sweet!
Check again - the sprouted tips should now be about ¼ inch long (or maybe even longer).
Proceed with preparing the mixture for making Kababs: put them in a bowl and cover with water.

Notes

For cooking Kababs on the stove-top (without microwave oven, convection oven or AirFryer) :

Stove-top cooking will take a little longer than the combined use of microwave and AirFryer/oven, so plan accordingly.

Use a 10-inch frying pan, preferably non-stick, for each step. Wash the pan before final pan-frying of Kababs.

- Without non-stick coating, you will need a bit more oil to prevent food from sticking to the bottom during cooking.
For the lentil-vegetable mixture:
- Heat the pan, add a few drops of oil and add the ground lentil-vegetable ground mixture
- Stir-fry on medium high heat for 7-8 min, stirring every 30-40 seconds or so, to prevent sticking.
- Transfer from the pan into a mixing bowl.
For the onion-ginger-green chilli mixture and chopped carrots
- add the chopped onions to one side of the pan and the chopped carrots to another side
- Drizzle a few drops of oil on both, cover and cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 min
- Remove cover, stir each side gently, cover and cook for 2-3 min longer, to allow some moisture to evaporate.
- Transfer the cooked onion mixture and carrots to the mixing bowl with the cooked lentil-vegetable mixture and set aside to cool, uncovered to allow some more moisture to escape.
Add the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe, and shape into Kababs.
For pan-frying the Kababs, instead of AirFryer/oven roasting.
- Use a good non-stick pan. Heat it for 3-4 min on medium heat before you begin pan-frying the Kababs.
- Add 1/4 tsp oil in a small spot on the pan and immediately place a Kabab over it. Repeat for 6-7 Kababs, placed around the pan- do not crowd the pan- it will be hard to flip them if too crowded.
- Cover the pan and cook on low-medium heat for 7-8 min. Remove lid and let steam escape - 30-40 seconds.
- add a few drops of oil on top of each Kabab.
- Use a sturdy spatula to gently loosen and flip one Kabab - to check for browning- it should have a rich golden brown, slightly crispy appearance. If not, flip it back and continue to cook for a few more min, then flip all the Kababs.
- If they start to fall apart or become misshapen (they are a bit delicate, so they might do this) use a second turner or the back of a spoon to reshape and bind the Kababs. Drizzle a few drops of oil on the pan around each Kabab and continue to cook on medium heat for 6-8 min, until the second side is browned as well.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack wile pan-frying the remaining Kababs. This prevents the bottom-side from becoming soggy.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!

If cracked wheat is not available, or to make gluten-free Kabab:

Use one of the following options instead of cracked wheat- these are also gluten-free ingredients.

roasted oat bran
roasted rolled oats
roasted quinoa, coarsely ground
roasted buckwheat, coarsely ground
coarse breadcrumbs (Panko style works well) -
- Note: this is not gluten-free unless made from gluten-free bread

For Vegan Kababs:

Instead of 1/4 cup Cottage cheese, use one of the following:

1/4 cup crumbled firm tofu + 1 tsp oil
1/4 cup vegan cheese - any kind you like

To store leftovers:

Refrigerate, covered
- Use within 2-3 days
- Re-heat for a few minutes in Air-Fryer, toaster oven or skillet, until heated through
- splash about 1 tsp water on top of each Kabab to re-hydrate before heating
  - it gets absorbed into the Kabab - when heated, this water turns to steam and makes Kababs taste as if freshly made.

Freeze in a container with a well-fitting lid
- Good for 3-4 weeks, possibly longer
- Thaw naturally on the counter for about 10-15 min, then re-heat for a few minutes in Air-Fryer, toaster oven or skillet, until heated through
  - splash about 1 tsp water on each Kabab to re-hydrate a bit before heating

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 8gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 363mgPotassium: 501mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1456IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Brown lentils, celery, cottage cheese, Cracked wheat, dried mint, Fennel powder, Garam Masala, Green Bell Pepper, green lentils, Kabab, Lentil, rolled oats, sprouted lentils, Zuchini

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