Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Falafel-Style Lentil Nuggets
A delightful and easy-to-make crispy falafel-style lentil nuggets recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and soaked for 2-3 hours
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp flour (or chickpea flour for a gluten-free option)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for brushing)
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- Drain the soaked lentils and add them to a food processor with onion, garlic, parsley, and coriander. Pulse until coarse.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and add cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Sprinkle flour into the mixture and combine until it holds together. Adjust with more flour if necessary.
- Shape the mixture into small nugget-sized patties.
- Lightly brush each nugget with olive oil on all sides.
- Place nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring space between them. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through.
Why this works in an air fryer
Soaked, uncooked lentils give starch and protein that set as the nuggets heat, while flour absorbs onion/herb moisture so the surface can dry quickly. A light oil film improves heat transfer and browning in the air fryer’s fast convection; baking powder opens the texture so the centres do not become dense.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4-5 litre basket holding about 10-12 small patties with gaps; in a single-drawer model, keep them in the central airflow and flip once, while dual-zone drawers usually need smaller batches per side and may take 1-2 minutes longer if both drawers are full.
Common pitfalls
- Mixture looks like hummus and sticks to your hands? It has been over-processed or is too wet; pulse only to a coarse rubble next time, then add chickpea flour 1 tbsp at a time and rest for 10 minutes before shaping.
- Nuggets crack or shed crumbs when flipped? The mix is under-bound; squeeze a spoonful in your palm, and if it will not hold, pulse a quarter of the mixture finer or add another tablespoon of flour.
- Outside is dark but the middle tastes raw or beany? The patties are too thick for the air fryer heat; flatten to about 1.5 cm and cook at 170°C for an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Undersides are pale and soft at the halfway mark? Air cannot reach them or there is too little surface oil; leave clear gaps, brush the dry patches lightly with oil, and extend by 2 minutes after flipping.
Variations & substitutions
- Use chickpea flour instead of wheat flour for a gluten-free version; it absorbs more slowly, so let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before judging whether it needs more.
- Swap green or brown lentils for soaked red split lentils for a softer centre; drain very thoroughly as red lentils hold more water and can make the nuggets fragile.
- Add 1 tbsp sesame seeds to the outside before air frying; they brown quickly, so check at 9 minutes and reduce the final time if the seeds darken.
- Replace half the parsley or coriander with fresh mint or dill; softer herbs wilt faster, so keep the mixture coarse rather than processing it to a paste.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked nuggets in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4-6 minutes until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
