Beetroot Lentil Kebabs/Kabob; Vegan and Gluten Free.

Vegan Beetroot Lentil Kebab /Kabob.

Air Fried Beetroot Lentil kebab/kebobs, are going to be your favorite vegan and gluten free kebabs. However, if you are not vegan or vegetarian, you are still going be in love with these kebabs. I’m not a vegetarian either, but these beetroot lentil kebabs are some of my favorite. In fact I always have a batch of these in my freezer. If any of you were to surprise visit me, I will surely surprise you by serving these air fried kebabs within 10 minutes!This is one of the 3 recipes that I did last spring (2018) for The Supper Club Magazine based out of UK. It’s a great global community magazine, where you can find different recipes from creatives all over the globe. It was an honor to contribute among such amazing food creatives.

Now is it beetroot lentil kebabs or kabob? Well I always had this confusion. But they both are same. In US it’s called ‘Kabob’ and back home in India, or in British English it’s known as ‘Kebab’. Spelling or pronunciation doesn’t matter right!! 

To My Roots.

Growing up in a strict vegetarian family can sometimes make you curious about the reason behind vegetarianism. As a child, I always wondered why meat or eggs were not allowed in the house. Upon asking my parents about it, there was only one answer every-time “Our grandparents followed certain beliefs, and they didn’t allow meat in the house. We could eat what we want, but only when we are away from home.”  

Our main source of protein was lentils. Not a single day would go by without being served some sort of lentil dish for dinner. We call this ‘daal’ back home. Daal and I had a love-hate relationship growing up, probably because I ate it every day.  In fact I remember my mom would sit down with me until I finished that big bowl of lentils before I could even eat the rest of the meal. I sure wish that we had this beetroot lentil kebab recipe back then. It wouldn’t have been so horrible.  

Be that as it may, I totally love chicken and fish. I don’t know how or why, but I just love them. The delicious, smoky, and flavorful seekh kebabs always hit the top of my list and I want to savor them every time.  Whenever we went out, I always ordered a non vegetarian dish, while my parents ate only vegetarian meals.  

Fast Forward.

My love for plant-based meals, however, grew and I started to appreciate lentils and other vegetables more. This was maybe because I learned how nutritious they were as I grew older. It wasn’t until 2009 when my brother, who is the ‘King of Burgers’ in my world at least, made the most delicious beetroot and lentil Greek burgers. They were so good, that I did not look at the regular meat burgers, which normally I’d pick anytime over any burger. Since then, I have been itching to combine the flavors of seekh kebabs recipe(my childhood favorite), with my brother’s amazing lentil and beetroot patties to make a flavorful and delicate vegetarian beetroot lentil kebab.    

Beetroot Lentil Kebabs for Spring.

With spring on its way, there are so many refreshing flavors around. These beetroot lentil kebabs can be savored with a spring salad for lunch, an evening snack with a cup of tea, or a dinner appetizer with a cold beer. They could also be used in pita pockets or wraps if you want to change things up a little bit. The recipe contains mint that adds a very refreshing flavor. I also added roasted fennel bulb and some fennel seeds, giving a very subtle licorice taste and adding an earthiness to the kebabs. For the crunchy texture, I added chopped roasted pistachios. There are all sorts of small changes you could do to cater this recipe to your own tastes and make it your own. These vibrant and flavorful beetroot lentil kebabs have become an absolute favorite in my family – especially my meat-loving husband! 

 Do you multitask?

You might find that the recipe has lots of ingredients and too many steps. Do not get intimidated, I would suggest that you read the recipe in full, before you start cooking. Most of the ingredients have to be cooked in oven, so you can cook them all at once.  Furthermore, while the ingredients are cooking in the oven, the lentils and millet can be cooked on the stove. So it’s really not much time consuming and you can multitask perfectly. Since all the ingredients are cooked before processing them out in processor, it doesn’t require much time to cook it later.

Air Fryer or Deep Frying?

I love using my air fryer. It’s quick, and oil free. The beetroot lentil kebabs come out perfect after using it. You could deep fry, bake or even grill them. What ever you prefer, these kebabs are super delicious. 

If you make these Beetroot Lentil Kebabs, I would love to see your version, so do share with me on my Facebook page , or Instagram.

If you want to try other vegan and gluten-free dishes then the Pasta in Vegan Pumpkin & Coconut Sauce would be something you would love.

5 from 9 votes

Print

Beetroot Lentil Kebabs/kabobs; Vegan and Gluten Free

Prep Time

1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Resting time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

 

These beetroot lentil kebabs/kabobs are full of refreshing and earthy flavors. Enjoy over your salad, in a pita pocket or as appetizer with any dip, these kebabs are so versatile and are going to be your absolute favorite dish.

Course: Vegan glutenfree kebabs/kabobs

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Indian

Keyword: Kebabs, Vegan Kebabs, Beetroot kebabs, lentils, Gluten-free, beetroot lentil kebabs, kabobs

Servings: 40 to 50 kebabs

Author: Esha

Ingredients

• 250 grams beets, boiled&peeled (raw beets- 300grams approx.)
• 250 grams french lentils, cooked (1/2 cup uncooked, approx.)
• 500 ml water to cook lentils
• 120 grams bread crumbs, gluten free
• 100 grams millet (1/2 cup)
• 235 ml water to cook millet
• 50 grams green onions, finely chopped (5-6 sprigs)
• 50 grams fennel bulb, roasted
• 1 small whole garlic bulb (around 30 grams of cloves)
• 25 grams cilantro, chopped
• 25 grams mint, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dil, chopped (5 grams approx)
• 50 grams pistachio, roasted
• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
• 6 tbsp water, room temperature
• 2 tbsp citrus zest (lemon or orange)
• 1 tsp citrus juice (lemon or orange)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

For Air Frying.

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F

2. Scrub the beets nicely so they are clean and trim their ends.

3. Brush a little bit of oil on the beets and put them on baking pan. Add 4-5 tbsp water to the pan - this will prevent beets from sticking to the bottom.

4. Cover the pan with foil, and roast them for about an hour, until they are fork tender. Trim the ends, and peel them. Cut them in quarters.

5. Meanwhile, roast the garlic.Cut the bulb in half, Drizzle 1 tsp oil and wrap loosely in foil. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the garlic cloves get soft and caramelized.

6. Roast the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half, drizzle some oil, and put on a sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until tender. Chop them after they've cooled.
   

7. While beets and garlic are roasting, cook the lentils. Wash the lentils and strain. In a saucepan, add the water and 1/2 cup lentils. After a boil, cover and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until cooked but not mushy. Let cool.

8. In another saucepan, add the rinsed millet and the water. After a boil, cover and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool. Fluff with a fork.
   

9. Prepare the flax gel for binding. Combine the flax seed meal with water in the food processor. Run the processor with metal blade for 2-3 minutes until it thickens in to a gel-like consistency. Transfer this to a bowl.

10. In the food processor add: beets, lentils, millet, roasted garlic cloves, chopped fennel, cilantro, mint, dill, citrus zest, citrus juice, and all the dry spices. Pulse in 2-3 second intervals until all the ingredients are finely chopped and well incorporated.
    

11. Add flax gel and nuts. Pulse again to just combine into coarse, thick mixture. Do not over-process; if it is over-processed, the mixture will become mushy and smooth. You do not want it to be smooth.

12. Transfer to a bowl. Add bread crumbs and combine with hands. Adjust for seasoning.
    

13. Cover the bowl and let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
    

14. Oil your palm, and form small round balls from the mixture.

15. Preheat the air fryer at 390°F (200°C) for 2 minutes.

16. Put the kebabs in air fryer for 10 minutes, turning them over half way through.

17. Serve hot with any dip/chutney or on top of your favorite salad.

For Deep Frying.

1. If deep deep frying these kebabs, then use oils that have higher smoking point. For example -  canola, grape seed and sunflower oil.

2. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Do not go above 375°F (190°C). Fry them in batches.

Recipe Notes

These kebabs could be bakes in oven or even grilled on your grill or stove top griddle. 

You could pre-cook your beets, lentils, millet, fennel, and garlic 1-2 days in advance and keep in refrigerator. Then process them in food processor at a different day.