Lentil fritters

Name: Lentil fritters
Total time: 40 min
Yield: About 12 small fritters
Ingredients: 100 g (½ cup) dried red lentils; 250 ml (1 cup) water; ½ small onion; 1 egg; 3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) wheat flour; ½ tsp ground cumin; 1–2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Soft red lentil fritters with gently cooked onion and a little cumin, pan-cooked until set. Contains egg and wheat: offer them once your baby has had egg, wheat and lentils, each on its own.

From: 6 months
Time: 40 min
Makes: About 12 small fritters

Contains eggContains wheat

Ingredients

100 g (½ cup)dried red lentils
250 ml (1 cup)water
½ smallonionfinely chopped
1egg
3 tbspplain (all-purpose) wheat flour
½ tspground cuminoptional; if your child has a peanut allergy, read the cumin page first
1–2 tbspvegetable or olive oilfor cooking

Steps

1Wash your hands. Tip the lentils into a sieve, pick out any small stones, and rinse them under running water. Rinse and peel the onion, then chop it finely.
2Simmer the lentils in the water, without salt, for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until they fall apart into a thick mash and the water is absorbed. Let them cool for 10 minutes.
3Meanwhile, cook the onion gently in 1 tsp of the oil for about 10 minutes, until very soft and see-through. Mash or blend it so it falls apart, with no pieces or slippery strips left.
4Mix the lentils, onion, cumin, egg and flour into a thick batter. Don't taste the raw batter: raw flour and raw egg can carry germs. Wash your hands after handling them.
5Heat a thin layer of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Spoon in the batter and shape each fritter into a finger about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), and about 1 cm thick.
6Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and set all the way through, with no wet batter in the middle. If you use a food thermometer, the center should reach 160°F (71°C). Lower the heat if they brown too fast.
7Drain on kitchen paper and let them cool. Break one open and squash it between your thumb and finger: it should be soft inside. Trim off any crisp edges, and check they're only just warm before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Once your baby has had egg, wheat and lentils on their own without a reaction, offer one or two whole finger-shaped fritters to hold and gnaw.

9 months+

Cut fritters into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or keep offering whole soft fritters to bite. Serve with soft-cooked broccoli or tomato: vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from lentils.

12 months+

Serve whole fritters or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) with plain yogurt to dip (once dairy has been introduced) and vegetables, as part of the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning. It doesn't mention cumin, and doesn't give an age for spices. If you'd rather follow that line closely, leave the cumin out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt, stock cubes or gravy to your baby's food or cooking water. Its own sweet potato patties recipe for babies from 6 months uses garam masala, a spice mix.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains egg, wheat. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Cool leftover fritters quickly and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 2 to 3 months (freeze them in a single layer, then pack them together once frozen). Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let them cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave fritters at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Cook your baby's fritters first, then stir salt, chili or chopped coriander into the rest of the batter for the adults. Good with yogurt and a squeeze of lemon.