Eggplant and Lentil Fritters

Last night, I made too many lentils for me to consume in one week and decided to make these lentil fritters for me and my mom. These are pretty good. Next time I would add a bit more salt and hot sauce to spice it up a bit.  I was craving something meaty and these guys did the trick.  

Note: I was too lazy to take a picture and ate all of them. This picture is from Honest Cooking website.

RECIPE
makes about 8-12 smaller or 6-8 larger pieces
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 hour

1 medium eggplant
1 cup green lentils, boiled 
½ cup red pepper, finely chopped (I used carrots instead and I'm sure you could substitute mushrooms, etc.)
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
4 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & chili to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast the eggplant on a stove or oven (400 degree F for 20-25 minutes) till it collapses and the skin can be easily removed. Remove the skin and seeds, mash the eggplant and keep aside to cool. I added my own "marinade" of miso, water, sesame oil, and sea salt.
2. Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a non-stick pan. Stir-fry all the ingredients, except the oats, for a few minutes till they are well mixed. You could also put them in a blender, but I am a fan of texture so I prefer not to. Remove from heat and cool completely.
3. Once cooled, mix in the rolled oats and form 6-8 circles with your hands – approx 2 inches in diameter. Pan-fry them in a non-stick pan with the remaining oil, till they are evenly browned on both sides.
4. Use as patties for healthy veg sliders, or as an appetizer on their own!
5. THIS IS WHAT I DID. Just leave the oven on after you take the eggplant out and stick em' in the oven. For an oil free version, simply mix all the ingredients and bake the fritters for 25-30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375 degree F. Make sure you turn them once in between so they brown evenly