Our Vegan Persian Kotlet are fried lentil-and-potato patties that are perfect as a snack or full meal. They’re crispy and delectable and super easy to throw together. You probably already have all the ingredients needed to whip them up in your house right now!
There is something magical about summer when you’re a kid. Whether it’s vacations with the family, swimming with friends, cookouts and fireworks, or just lazing around and playing video games, there seem to be infinite possibilities for fun and adventure during the months of June, July and August.
When I think of summers during my childhood, I think of countless hours spent with my closest friends—and the occasional rando kid from down the block—playing basketball in our driveway. Growing up, our house was the only one on the street that had a basketball hoop; and basketball was a bit of a religion for us children of the 90s (*ahem* I’m talking about His Airness, The Dream, Sir Charles and The Admiral, to name a few). I vividly remember helping my dad dig the hole and pour the concrete for the goal. I remember the sweat trickling off his brow and the excitement bubbling over in my chest. The neighborhood kids all gathered to watch him erect the hoop. When the concrete had been poured, we all laid our handprints in the wet cement and signed it as if we were A-listers signing our names in front of the Grauman Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
So naturally, our summers were spent playing game, after game, after game. A kid can work up an appetite hooping that hard. One of my favorite meals/lunches/dinners/anytime-you’re-hungry-open-the-fridge-and-pop-it-in-your-mouth snacks was my mom’s Persian Kotlets. Nothing got my mouth watering quite like running into the house after a long game of basketball to see my mom at the stove frying up a batch of Kotlet. She’d hand me a piping hot one and I’d gobble it down and run outside. Looking back at it now, it makes perfect sense why these were the perfect post-hooping meal. Persian Kotlets are loaded in protein and carbs—everything a growing boy needs.
Our recipes have options to pan fry (traditional), air fry, or bake your kotlets. (Spoiler Alert: Our favorite cooking method is air frying! This method is less labor intensive than pan frying and yields kotlets that are crisp and less caloric).
If you love Persian food as much as we do, make sure to check out our Vegan Ash Reshteh (noodle soup), Vegan Khoresh Gheymeh, or Salad Shirazi.
Love,
Mani
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❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Crispy. Sink your teeth into a kotlet and find out for yourself.
- Portable. A natural on-the-go meal.
- Nutritious. Loaded in protein and fiber.
- Addictive. You won’t be able to eat just one.
- Easy to make. This is a beginner-friendly recipe.
🇮🇷 WHAT ARE VEGAN PERSIAN KOTLETS?
Persian Kotlets are traditionally fried potato and ground beef patties. They’re eaten as full meals or quick grab-and-go snacks. You can wrap them in a pita with salt-brined cucumbers and fresh herbs, or enjoy them by themselves. In my humble opinion, they’re the perfect summer picnic-basket addition.
Our veganized version is actually my mom’s recipe. She came up with the idea of replacing the beef with cooked lentils. She surprised us with it one day and we were shocked at how similar it tasted to the original recipe. So now any time I’m feeling nostalgic for those endless summer days of yesteryear, I can always whip up a batch. Too bad my old ass can’t hoop for nearly as long as the days of yore, without risking doing irreparable damage to my body!
I recently found myself near my old stomping grounds and decided to take a little detour to our old house. The goal is still there. It looks like no one’s shot a basket in years, but as I drove closer, I could distinctly make out our handprints in concrete.
📝 INGREDIENTS
- Russet potatoes: form the irresistible, carb-y base of our kotlets. The potatoes must first be peeled, boiled, mashed and allowed to cool.
- Dried brown lentils: our vegan protein substitute.
- Plain breadcrumbs: to bind the kotlet mixture and prevent the kotlets from drying out.
- Chickpea flour: used in place of eggs to bind the kotlet mixture.
- Onion: a fragrant aromatic. The onion needs to be grated and squeezed of its moisture before it is added to the kotlet mixture. This will help the kotlets retain their form when cooked.
- Parsley: adds a touch of herbaceous freshness.
- Garlic: a fragrant aromatic.
- Ground turmeric: adds color and earthy notes.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper: to season the kotlets.
- Extra virgin olive oil: to flavor and cook the kotlets. You can use either bottled or spray oil, depending on the cooking method you choose.
🔪 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
***Check out our recipe video below!***
- 1. Cook the potatoes. Peel and boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Then mash the potatoes into a mixing bowl, using a ricer, potato masher or fork. Set the potatoes aside to let them cool.
- 2. Cook the lentils. While the potatoes are cooking, cover lentils with water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, reduce to simmer, and cook 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature. Set aside.
- 3. Prep the onion. Squeeze out juice from grated onion in a paper towel. Try to get as much of the liquid out as possible to ensure the cutlets don’t fall apart. (Note: Although the photo below shows us squeezing the onions over a mixing bowl, in practice, we do this step directly over the kitchen sink. We recommend you doing the same to avoid having to clean up another bowl. We just wanted to show you guys how much liquid the grated onions contain!)
- 4. Make the kotlet mixture. To the potatoes, add the lentils, breadcrumbs, chickpea flour, onions, garlic, parsley, turmeric and salt & pepper, to taste. Mix until ingredients are uniformly combined.
- 5. Shape the kotlets. Scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture and form into oval-shaped patties.
- 6. Cook the Kotlets.
- Pan frying option: Heat enough oil in a frying pan for a shallow fry over high heat. Fry kotlets for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until patties become a deep brown. Arrange kotlets on a baking rack placed over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. This method will drain the patties of their excess oil while ensuring maximum crispiness. Alternatively, you can arrange the patties over a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle the patties with salt and enjoy!
- Air frying option (our favorite): Spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil. Then liberally spray or brush the kotlets with oil. Arrange the kotlets in one layer over the bottom of an air fryer basket. Cook in batches at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, flipping midway through.
- Baking option: Arrange kotlets over a lined baking tray. Liberally brush or spray them with oil. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes, flipping midway through. If the kotlets are not as brown as you’d like them, broil them on high for 1-2 minutes.
- 7. Arrange kotlets on a baking rack placed over a baking sheet. If you pan fried the kotlets, line the baking sheet with paper towels first in order to absorb the oil from the kotlets. Then place the baking rack over the paper towels. This arrangement will allow circulation all around the kotlets and will keep them crisp. (If you don’t have a baking rack, simply arrange the kotlets over a paper towel-lined baking sheet).
💡RECIPE TIPS
***Check out our recipe video below!***
- Squeeze the moisture out of the onion. Make sure to squeeze out as much moisture from the grated onions as possible. Moisture is the enemy when it comes to maintaining structural integrity. We’re talking Sahara-levels of dryness are needed to make sure these patties come out perfect.
- If frying, cook in piping hot oil. For best results, make sure the oil is piping hot. Toss a few breadcrumbs into the oil, and if they sizzle, the oil is ready. This is a very quick fry to get a dark crispy shell. Since all of the ingredients are already cooked—or can be consumed raw—you don’t need to worry about having them laze around in the oil like it’s a hot tub in Aspen. If you let the patties linger in the oil, they will soak up way too much oil becoming super greasy and eventually start to dissolve.
- Use a potato ricer. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes. A ricer will give you the most even consistency without lumps. If you don’t have a ricer, a potato masher or fork will do.
- Be liberal with the oil. If you are air frying or baking, spray or brush on a good amount of oil onto the kotlets before cooking them. This will help develop a crisp brown crust on the kotlets while adding moisture to them.
- Make ahead. You can make the kotlet mixture or pre-shaped kotlets a day in advance. Store the mixture or pre-shaped kotlets in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- Storage. Store cooked kotlets in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to seven days. Uncooked or cooked kotlets can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to three months. If uncooked, place parchment paper in between stacked layers. Reheat cooked kotlets in a pan, air fryer, or conventional oven.
DID YOU MAKE THESE VEGAN PERSIAN KOTLETS?
Did you make this recipe? We’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. Share your dish with us on Instagram and tag us @plantbased.passport. We would love to seeing your delicious creations! Still hungry? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest for more global vegan recipes and travel tips!🍴✈️
💕 MORE VEGAN PERSIAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
👩🏽🍳 RECIPE
Vegan Persian Kotlets
Equipment
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- medium pot
- saucepan
- potato masher or ricer (you can also use a fork)
- clean dish towel (or paper towels)
- large mixing bowl
- frying pan (if pan frying), air fryer (if air frying), or conventional oven (if baking)
- baking rack
- silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
- paper towels (if pan frying)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Russet potatoes peeled, (about 2 medium potatoes)
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- 1 medium onion grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil bottled or spray oil, depending on your chosen cooking method
To Serve
- pita bread
- Persian pickles or gherkins
- tomatoes
- fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint, and/or parsley
- cucumbers
- radishes
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Peel and boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Then mash the potatoes into a mixing bowl, using a ricer, potato masher or fork. Set the potatoes aside to let them cool.
- Cook the lentils. While the potatoes are cooking, cover lentils with water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, reduce to simmer, and cook 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature. Set aside.
- Prep the onion. Squeeze out the juice from the grated onion in a clean dish towel or paper towel. Try to get as much of the liquid out as possible to ensure the kotlets don’t fall apart when cooked.
- Make the kotlet mixture. To the potatoes, add the lentils, breadcrumbs, chickpea flour, onions, garlic, parsley, turmeric and salt & pepper, to taste. Mix until ingredients are uniformly combined.
- Shape the kotlets. Scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture and form into oval-shaped patties. Arrange them on a lined baking sheet.
Cook the Kotlets
- Pan frying option (traditional): Heat enough oil in a frying pan for a shallow fry over high heat. Test the oil by sprinkling in some breadcrumbs. If the breadcrumbs sizzle, the oil is ready. Fry kotlets for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until patties become a deep brown. Then arrange kotlets on a baking rack placed over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. This method will drain the patties of their excess oil while ensuring maximum crispiness. Alternatively, you can arrange the patties over a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle the patties with salt and enjoy!
- Air frying option (our favorite): Spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil. Then liberally spray or brush the kotlets with oil. Arrange the kotlets in one layer over the bottom of an air fryer basket. Cook in batches at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, flipping midway through.
- Baking option: Arrange kotlets over a lined baking tray. Liberally brush or spray them with oil. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes, flipping midway through. If the kotlets are not as brown as you'd like them, broil them on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Arrange kotlets on a baking rack placed over a baking sheet. If you pan fried the kotlets, line the baking sheet with paper towels first in order to absorb the oil from the kotlets. Then place the baking rack over the paper towels. This arrangement will allow circulation all around the kotlets and will keep them crisp. (If you don't have a baking rack, simply arrange the kotlets over a paper towel-lined baking sheet).
Notes
-
- Squeeze the moisture out of the onion. Make sure to squeeze out as much moisture from the grated onions as possible. Moisture is the enemy when it comes to maintaining structural integrity. We’re talking Sahara-levels of dryness are needed to make sure these patties come out perfect.
-
- If frying, cook in piping hot oil. For best results, make sure the oil is piping hot. Toss a few breadcrumbs into the oil, and if they sizzle, the oil is ready. This is a very quick fry to get a dark crispy shell. Since all of the ingredients are already cooked—or can be consumed raw—you don’t need to worry about having them laze around in the oil like it’s a hot tub in Aspen. If you let the patties linger in the oil, they will soak up way too much oil becoming super greasy and eventually start to dissolve.
- Use a potato ricer. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes. A ricer will give you the most even consistency without lumps. If you don’t have a ricer, a potato masher or fork will do.
- Be liberal with the oil. If you are air frying or baking, spray or brush on a good amount of oil onto the kotlets before cooking them. This will help develop a crisp brown crust on the kotlets while adding moisture to them.
-
- Make ahead. You can make the kotlet mixture or pre-shaped kotlets a day in advance. Store the mixture or pre-shaped kotlets in an air-tight container in the fridge.
-
- Storage. Store cooked kotlets in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to seven days. Uncooked or cooked kotlets can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to three months. If uncooked, place parchment paper in between stacked layers. Reheat cooked kotlets in a pan, air fryer, or conventional oven.
I love these Persian vegan recipes. Please keep them coming. These kotlets were really yummy, btw.