Vegan Beetroot, Tofu and Lentil Tikkis

When I think of feeding my family with something super healthy, “Tikkis” are always that come immediately to my mind. With tikkis, you always get an incredible opportunity to form a stunning concoction of ingredients moving ahead to make something that would taste over-the-top delicious or simply “out of the world”! And that for sure gives you the power to be selective, go for healthy nutritional elements that boost energy and overall well being of the human system. Having said that, for today’s tikkis I have selected a splendid combination of beetroots, tofu and green moong lentils.

Beetroots, as we all know is a powerhouse of good nutrition. Rich in valuable nutrients and fibers, it helps increase blood flow, boosts stamina and has anti-cancer properties. Tofu is rich in proteins and vital minerals. In life when I first got introduced to tofu, I was of an opinion that it is just a bland good-for-nothing piece of block! How insane of me to think that way! Much later I realized the amazing health benefits comprised of in this super-powerful soya product. And since then, there was no looking back. When my LO got the taste of solid foods for the first time, tofu was one among all the first timer goods. And honestly, she did love it….so much so that she lived majorly on tofu for 2 years in a row. And I was quite happy about it!

For this recipe, it is better to use firm or semi-firm tofu. It will be much easier to handle compared to silken tofu. I used organic sprouted pressed tofu from Vitasoy. For these tikkis, I used just half of the pack which yielded me around 12 to 13 patties. The other half, I kept it back and probably would make use of it the next day for breakfast.

The other major ingredient in these patties are green moong lentils. Those who have been consistently following my blog would have known by now about my eternal love for LENTILS! Oh yes, I just luuuuurrrrrvve lentils and I love to add them in pretty much anything I cook. They are so healthy and undoubtedly they enhance the overall flavors of the dish.

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1

Pressed Tofu – 1/2  a pack

Green Moong lentils – 1/2 cup (Washed and soaked)

Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)

Garlic – 3-4 cloves (finely chopped)

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Green chillies – optional (finely chopped)

Coriander / cilantro leaves – finely chopped

Bread crumbs – 3-4 tbsp

Black pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Method:

Wash and clean the beetroot. Then dice it into chunks and steam it for 20 mins or until cooked. Grate the beetroot and set aside.

Wash and soak the lentils for at least an hour. Pressure cook the lentils until cooked.

Mash up the tofu with a fork.

I prepared home-made bread crumbs by toasting 3 slices of bread and then running them in a blender. Alternatively, you can even use store-bought bread crumbs.

Heat some oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped onions and garlic. Saute for a few mins until they turn golden brown in color.

Then add the cooked grated beetroot, crumbled tofu and the cooked moong lentils.

Mix well. Add the green chillies and spice powders – namely turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Mix well. Add the salt, black pepper powder and chopped coriander leaves.

Mix thoroughly and let this cook on a low flame until there is no more moisture and the mixture is completely dry.

P.S: The tofu and beets will ooze out substantial water content. So it is very important to dry out the mixture well, else the tikkis might be brittle, not firm and easily breakable.

Once the mixture cools down, add in the bread crumbs. Do a taste test to check the seasoning. Mix everything well. Now the mixture is ready to form patties out of it.

Spray a pan with some oil or butter. Add the tikkis and shallow fry them for about 2 mins on each side. You won’t need to fry these for too long as all the ingredients are already cooked.

Serve the tikkis as appetizers with a side salad or as a side dish with the main course. Serve them up on a bed of lettuce leaves and sprinkle crumbled feta or cottage cheese on top and they will good to go just as it is. Enjoy these healthy and delicious tikkis with your family and friends!