I’m usually not a big fan of bean (or lentil) balls or patties.
They tend to be mashy, and I don’t like the texture.
But I do like the idea of using beans/lentils to make burger patties or “meat” balls so that they are more whole-food plant-based.
We had lunch at Forage Kitchen in Wisconsin on our way back from Chicago a few weekends ago, and I fell in love with their Thai Bowl.
Especially the lentil balls I chose to add to the bowl were delicious!
They were pretty hard and not mashy at all.
When I asked them how they make them, they told me “lentils, mushrooms, oats, and beans”.
So I decided to re-create them myself.
I processed them in my food processor.
Spices were added.
At this stage they were kind of soft, so I was a bit worried.
I decided to cook them in my air fryer.
And I’m glad I did.
They turned out great.
Flavorful.
But most importantly, the texture was what I wanted to achieve.
The air fryer cooking created a beautiful thick crunchy outer layer.
I really think it was only possible with the air fryer (otherwise you would probably have to deep-fry them).
Lentil Balls – 1 pack mushrooms, 1.5 cups cooked lentils, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup oats, about 2 tablespoons of flax meal, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, sugar
Air fryer – spray oil, 400F 12 minutes -> 350F 7 minutes
