Lentil and burghul fritters with yoghurt sauce

I have a slim Family Circle recipe book which looks so unpromising, it's a plain Jane amongst a collection of beauties, and yet is filled with recipes I turn to time and time again.  Back in the day where I was part of the paid working masses I had an Italian colleague who loved to cook and once taught me to make arancinis.  We had very little in common but our shared love of food provided a point of commonality between us.  So we often shared recipes, regaled each other with details of the meals we prepared  the night before or the dishes we served on the occasions we entertained guests.  And sometimes, we'd bring in our favourite books and photocopy recipes.  When she brought in this book, I perused it's pages and realised a photocopy of a recipe or two won't do.  I needed the entire book!  This was before the time of Amazon and Bookworld,  so after relentless searching in various book shops, I located a copy in a newsagency and bought it for a song.

This is one recipe which corroborates why all the effort to source it was worth it.  It's great when you feel you need to add more pulses in your diet.  The accompanying yoghurt sauce is not optional because it really give these fritters a lift.  Makes 35.

3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup course burghul
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain flour
salt and pepper

Yoghurt sauce
1 small Lebanese cucumber, grated
1 cup or 250g Greek style plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs of dill or fennel fronds finely chopped

Place the lentils in a saucepan with 625ml water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 mins till tender. Turn off the heat and pour water to just cover the lentils.  Add the burghul, cover and stand until the burghul has absorbed the moisture and expanded (about 30 mins).  Transfer to a large bowl.

To make the yoghurt sauce, strain the cucumber by placing in the middle of a clean teatowel and wring until the excess moisture has been strained.   Place the semi desiccated cucumber in a small bowl.  Strain the yoghurt (of it's whey!)  in the same way.  Once strained, place in the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.  Keep in the fridge till needed.

Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic with the bay leaf,  until soft and translucent.  Add the cumin and coriander, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaf and add remaining ingredients.  Combine until the mixture is thick enough to drop spoonfuls into the pan.  If the mixture is too wet, add a little extra flour. 

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  working in batches,drop heaped tablespoons into the pan.  Cook unil browned on both sides.  Drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve hot or at room temperature with the yoghurt sauce.