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These delightful and tasty vegan red lentil pancakes are done in no time. Perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack. You can take it in a tiffin too. A healthy and really easy recipe.

I love lentils. I have them on a daily basis. In Indian cuisine, lentils have a place of pride. We eat dal on a daily basis. So satisfying with rice and veggies. Also lentils are made into pancakes or vegan omelettes for satisfying breakfasts like this masoor dal chilla.

These pancakes are gluten free and dairy free. They are perfect for breakfast. Very versatile too. You can amp up this simple version with grated veggies or fillings.

You will also love moonglet, Lentil Omelette, Idli recipe, Rava Dosa, Besan Cheela, Medu Vada.

Ingredients

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal): I have used 1 cup red lentils soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.

Water: Need about ½ cup of water to make the batter.

Spices: I kept the spices very simple just just turmeric powder with salt. You can add some chilli flakes for heat.

Seasonings: 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp. ginger and 2 green chillies are blended for flavour.

Garnish: 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro is finely chopped and added to the batter.

Vegetables: Finely chopped onion, grated carrot, chopped mushrooms or finely chopped spinach or kale can be used as well.

Oli: Use any vegetable oil for frying the pancakes.

Instructions

First, let's prepare the lentils. If you have more time at hand, you can wash and soak red lentils in water for a couple of hours or till they are soft and plump. Otherwise, I just wash them and soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.

Your lentils are ready to blend. Take them in a blender with green chillies (optional), ginger and garlic, turmeric and salt.

Add ½ cup water. Grind to a smooth batter. It must be runny.Now add in chopped cilantro. If adding veggies, you can add in finely chopped onion, carrots, mushroom, spinach or whatever you are using.

You are now ready to make pancakes. Heat a skillet or non-stick pan. Brush it with oil and spread out a ladle or more of batter on it.

You can spread it out like a thin crepe or dosa or keep it thicker like a pancake.

If it is thicker, I cover it and cook on medium heat till the pancake is cooked through. Add some more oil and flip it. Cook more till crispy and light brown on both side.

That's it. Your delicious red lentil pancakes are done. Enjoy with chutney or a dip on the side. Even ketchup works well. You can also add a filling like scrambled tofu or sautéed veggies for a more substantial meal. Enjoy.

Expert Tips

1. Soaking the lentils is important so that they get softer and can be blended easily. Lentils generally soak to double their size. Using hot water to soak them is a faster method.

2. You can make the batter ahead of time and store in the fridge. If it gets thicker then just add a little water to dilute it. It is perfect to have in the fridge for quick snack or for hungry tummies. It can double up as a meal too.

3. If making a crepe, these pancakes cook faster. You will not need to cover to cook. But when making a thicker pancakes, covering helps to cook the pancake faster and more evenly.

4. You can add any veggies you like and have to the batter. Just make sure to chop or dice it finely.

5. These pancakes can be cooked and stored in an airtight container for upto two days in a fridge. These are great to carry along in lunchboxes as they taste pretty decent even at room temperature.

6. Serve them with a dip or chutney.