LENTIL BITES

Serves 4 as a snack or light lunch

• 200g red lentils

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp mild chilli powder (1 tsp hot powder if you like it plus 2tsp chilli flakes)

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 4 cloves garlic crushed

• 1 thumb sized grated ginger

• 1 small red onion chopped finely

• 10g fresh coriander chopped finely

• Salt to taste

• Sunflower oil to shallow fry

• Lemon wedges to serve

• Mango or other chutney to serve

1. Soak the lentils for at least 1 hour in water.

2. Rinse and leave to drain in a sieve for 10 minutes.

3. Blitz the spices to a coarse paste.

4. Set aside 3 tbs of lentils.

5. Blend the lentils with the spices.

6. Mix in salt to taste, plus the onion and coriander.

7. Heat a pan.  Gas mark 7 on an electric hob.

8. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan up to 1cm in depth to shallow fry.

9. Fry on each side for 2 minutes.

You can eat these with a small salad or add to pitta like you would falafel.

This is based on a recipe from Tony Singh from the M&S magazine.