Ingredients

SERVES 4 (Makes 8 cakes)

• 850 g (approx. 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 3 cm chunks

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting the potatoes

• 1 ½ cups water

• ½ cup dried red lentils, thoroughly rinsed

• 3 shallots, finely chopped (or small sweet onions)

• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded, finely chopped

• 3 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 large handfuls coriander (cilantro) stems & leaves, coarsely chopped

• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a medium roasting tray and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast for 30 Minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, put the water and lentils in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer for to 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking, until all of the water has been absorbed and the mixture resembles a thick porridge. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small frying pan. Cook the shallots, ginger, garlic and chilli until softened. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Transfer everything, including the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked lentils, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch and lemon juice, to a medium bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash and stir to combine, leaving some chunky bits of sweet potato. Add the coriander, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Using your hands, shape the mixture into 8 cakes, approximately 7 cm in diameter. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to firm up, then lightly dust with the remaining cornstarch to coat.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Cook the cakes for 3, minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel and cover to keep warm.