Lentil Patties in Dried Fruit Sauce for Tu B'Shvat

When I was a kid (and that was a long time ago), every year on Tu B'Shvat, the school would take us to plant a tree in one of the JNF forests in Israel.

I remember being very excited about the event and eagerly waiting to get my tree seedling so I could plant it in the ground. I remember that after the ceremony, we would get a big bag with a variety of dried fruits and nuts, which I would devour all the way in the back seat of the bus. (Back then, I didn't care about the amount of sugar in fruit).

I also remember thinking to myself, how long does it take for a tree, planted on Tu B'Shvat, to bear dried fruit. Yes, I thought dried fruit grew on trees 🙂

So, it's true, they are fruits, and even though they're dry, they still contain vitamins and minerals, but also a very large amount of carbohydrates.

Since the fruit doesn't contain water, it's easy for us to eat it more readily, and in fact, without noticing, we've consumed a very large amount of calories.

Therefore, I decided to take up the challenge and prepare a dish of low-calorie lentil patties floating in a sweet and dreamy sauce of dried fruits, lots of spices, and a great deal of love for the trees and our bodies.

This is a festive, beautiful, and diet-friendly dish that can be served for a Tu B'Shvat Seder (for those who have one) or just for a festive dinner.

Nutritional Information: (Calculated by nutritionist and fitness instructor Noam Bechar)

Each patty contains 33 calories, 5g carbohydrate, 2g protein, 0.2g fat, 2.5g dietary fiber, 0.5mg iron, 8.5mg calcium, 10mg magnesium.

Values for one tablespoon of sauce:

34 kcal, 6.6g carbohydrate, 0.7g protein, 0.4g fat, 11g dietary fiber, 3g iron, 10.5mg calcium, 7.9mg magnesium, 8.5mcg folic acid.

We cooked this recipe live on our Facebook page

Lentil Patties in Dried Fruit Sauce for Tu B'Shvat

Lentil patties in a sweet dried fruit sauce. A special dish for Tu B'Shvat that you can eat all year round without any guilt.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 25 patties

Ingredients

• For the patties:
• 1 cup green/brown lentils, uncooked 200 g (7.1 oz)
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon oil for brushing the patties
• For the sauce:
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 7 large tomatoes peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon silan (date syrup)
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 200 grams dried apricots soaked for 5 minutes in warm water and coarsely chopped
• 200 grams pitted prunes coarsely chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 cups boiling water

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils in plenty of water (3 times the volume) until soft - about 20 minutes, then drain.
2. Blend the lentils with the oats in a food processor until a sticky, uniform mixture is formed.
3. Add the rest of the patty ingredients (except the oil) and mix well.
4. With wet hands, form ping-pong sized patties and place them on a baking sheet.
5. Brush the patties with a little oil.
6. Bake at a high temperature (200°C (390°F) / 400°F) for about 20 minutes.
7. For the sauce:
8. Sauté the chopped onions with a little oil until they soften.
9. Blend the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor and add them directly to the pot with the onions.
10. Add the remaining ingredients (spices and dried fruits) and the water, and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
11. Place the hot patties in the hot sauce. Serve with some blanched almonds on top.