Lentil Couscous Balls with Cumin

The lentil couscous balls with cumin can be served cold, warm or fried, as finger food with a dip or as a side dish.

Serving size: The indicated amount for 5 servings yields approximately 25 lentil couscous balls.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this recipe covers more than 50% of the average daily requirement of 7 out of 8 of the classic essential amino acids. You can find out more by clicking on the corresponding amino acids in the fold-out nutrient table below the recipe images.
Copper, which is involved in the endogenous antioxidant system and in the formation of connective tissue, pigments and hemoglobin, and manganese, which plays a role in the formation of cartilage tissue, are also covered by over 50%. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 5:1, which is within the maximum recommended ratio. More on this under: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors .
However, the heating during cooking causes the food to lose some of its nutrients. Since the nutrient profile refers to the uncooked ingredients, the values are actually somewhat lower.

Red lentils: Due to their high-quality proteins, lentils are a very good source of plant-based protein for vegans. The different types of lentils, which are uniformly round and flat in shape, differ not only in size but also in color. Red lentils come from India and are particularly well-known from the national dish Dal. Because they are peeled, they cook quickly and break down into a kind of mush. Soaking beforehand is therefore not necessary. Because they are not peeled, they absorb the flavor of spices particularly well.

Couscous: Couscous is a dish from North African cuisine. It is made from moistened, ground semolina made from durum wheat, barley or millet. To cook the small balls, you just need to pour boiling water over them and let them steep. Couscous tastes aromatic and nutty.

Cumin: Due to the similar name, there is often confusion between cumin and caraway. They are not closely related and also differ greatly in taste. Cumin is often used in Indian, Turkish and Greek cuisine. The aroma is particularly intense if you grind the cumin fresh or crush it finely with a mortar.

Shelf life: The lentil couscous balls will last for 4 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

Serving: If you serve the lentil couscous balls as a starter, a dip is a good side dish. You can find a recipe for a carrot yoghurt dip on the same page in the same book.
You can also serve these lentil couscous balls as a main course with salad or vegetables or in a bowl.

If you like oriental-spicy dishes, you can also add harissa paste. You can find a list of ingredients for your own paste in the following recipe: Cauliflower steaks with harissa

Reduce oil: We reduced the amount of oil from 3 to 1 tablespoon in 5 portions and were thus able to reduce the ratio of omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 fatty acid (ALA) from 7:1 to 5:1.

Olive oil versus rapeseed oil: Economic forces and lobbying have made olive oil a cult oil, although the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio is well above the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1. Compared to olive oil, rapeseed oil has several times higher proportions of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids.
By replacing 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil, you can further improve the ratio of omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 fatty acids from 5:1 to 3:1.