This is the last of the five recipes that I learned in Turkey, at Cookistan. There was another recipe for poached stuffed artichoke hearts, but artichokes are not readily available locally, so I think I will stop with this one. This is so easy; filling, tasty and vegan.
In this recipe, the addition of the wheat to the lentils adds texture to the mixture, so that it can be formed into small and tasty kofte balls.
INGREDIENTS:
- 200g red lentils
- 2 to 3 cups of water
- 125g fine bulgur wheat
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp pepper paste
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 spring onions
- a handful each of mint, parsley and dill
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
METHOD:
- Rinse the red lentils then boil them in the water; bring the water and lentils to the boil, then turn down to simmer, partially covered until they are soft. There should be a little water left at the top of the cooked lentils.
- Add the bulgur wheat and mix well.
- Fry the chopped onions in olive oil until soft, then add the tomato and pepper paste and continue to fry for another minute, before adding the spices.
- Add the onion mixture to the lentil mixture and stir to combine.
- Chop the herbs and spring onions finely, and add to the lentil mixture, season and mix well. You might need more than a teaspoonful of salt to taste.
- Form the mixture into kofte balls; take large walnut sized pieces of the mixture, and shape into small ovals.
- Serve the kofte balls on a bed of lettuce leaves.
These taste better the following day, when the flavours have developed. They are very filling, and completely vegan.