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Golden lentil koftas on salad leaves with a swirl of harissa mayo and lemon wedges on the side

Spiced Red Lentil Koftas with Harissa Mayo

Julia Savory
Spiced red lentils are turned into crisp koftas — golden outside, soft inside — and served with a quick harissa mayonnaise. These are bold, satisfying, and simple to make, relying on a clever mix of everyday ingredients and a short blast in the air fryer or oven. Ideal as a main, starter, or protein-rich side.
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Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main
Cuisine Drawn from Persian and Mediterranean traditions
Servings 2 people
Calories/Seving 359 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Spiced Lentil Koftas

  • 80 g red lentils
  • 95 g brown onion | unpeeled weight; finely diced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 8 g fresh garlic | 1 large clove
  • ½ unit lemon | 1 tsp juice + zest
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp wholemeal flour

Ingredients for Harissa Mayo

  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp harissa paste | it's personal taste!
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Instructions
 

Instructions for Spiced Lentil Koftas

  • Cook the lentils in boiling water, lid off, for 5-6 minutes, then drain. Ensure to cook just enough to avoid starchy mush.
    80 g red lentils
  • Meantime, cook the onion and garlic on a low heat. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice, then add the spices and salt.
    95 g brown onion, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 pinch salt, 8 g fresh garlic, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ unit lemon
  • Add the cooked lentils to the onion/garlic/spices and mix. Add the lemon zest and flour and mix. Allow to stand for a few minutes.
    Form into 4 patties (or shape another way).
    Place into the bottom of an air fryer, spray with oil, and then air fry at 200℃ for 10 minutes.
     If you haven't got an air fryer, you'll need to use an oven at 200℃ fan (220℃ conventional) and cook for 15 minutes on the middle shelf. With power costs as they are, it might be worth getting an air fryer, which is, after all a small oven and much more efficient it is too ❣️
    1 tbsp wholemeal flour, ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions for Harissa Mayo

  • Mix the harissa paste into the mayo. If you're serving it in a bowl, a few little chilli flakes on the top would look nice.
    3 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tsp harissa paste

Finishing and serving

  • Serve the koftas on some shredded and dressed leaves, topped with a blob of the mayo. You could serve it with all manner of carbohydrate side dishes and also, bean salads or purées to further increase the protein count.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 12gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 423mgPotassium: 506mgFiber: 14gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 72IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.

Keywords harissa mayo, lentil koftas, plant-based protein, red lentil patties, spiced vegan dinner, vegan air fryer recipes
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© The Golden Polar Bear, 2025. Recipes and photography by Julia Savory. If you share this, please pass it along with kindness and if possible share a link back to this site. #ForTheAnimals

Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.