Mercimek Köfte

Turkish Red Lentil and Bulgur “Meatballs”

I’m always happy to discover a new vegetarian recipe, especially one that’s naturally vegetarian, as opposed to a meat dish that’s been “adjusted” But, when I first encountered this dish, I admit I was skeptical.

So…I’m supposed to combine all these ingredients, form them into my chosen shape, and then…

Not cook them. Eat them raw. Cold. Wrapped in lettuce with a squeeze of lemon…

Well, they’re not really raw because the beans and grains are pre-cooked…

I was intrigued. I’m a big fan of Turkish food and Turkish restaurants, but I’d never encountered these. So, I researched about a dozen recipes for Mercimek Köfte. No two were the same, which is not unusual for a classic dish that’s ubiquitous to any particular culture. Using my intuition I took bits and pieces from several of them and cobbled this version together. I thought they were amazing, but I had to try them out on a Turkish friend for a more qualified opinion. He thought they were great and ate enough of them to prove he meant it. That gave me the courage to share this version with you.

And, when I decided upon a Turkish menu for Parasha Noach, I had to include them. But now that I’m thinking about it, they could also look like baby Moshe’s in a basket for Parasha Shemot.

Mercimek Köfte

Lentil and Bulgar “Meatballs”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (200 g) red lentils I really like these: Kosher, good color, and inexpensive.

• 1 cup (200 g) fine bulgur

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 onions finely diced

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons Turkish pepper paste, mild or hot, your preference.

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

• 3 scallions finely chopped

• ½ bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

• ½ bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

• 1 tablespoons Aleppo pepper

For serving: Lettuce leaves—hearts of romaine, bibb, butter, or any lettuce that can be used to roll your kofte in. Belgian endive leaves, while not the most traditional, work well and add a nice, slightly bitter crunch.

Method:

• Rinse the lentils and check them over for small stones.

• Combine the lentils in a pot with 2 cups of cold fresh water and bring it to boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes, or until falling apart. Keep an eye on them to be sure the water doesn’t boil out to prevent the lentils from becoming scorched.

• When the lentils are done, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the bulgur. Cover the pot and set it aside for about 10 minutes (There should still be some water left in the pot for the bulgur to absorb. You can add a little more hot water if needed).

• While the lentils are cooking, heat the half the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions until they’re soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the tomato paste, pepper paste, cumin, and both paprikas and cook, stirring, for another minute.

• Set the pan aside to cool.

• Transfer the cooked lentils and bulgur into a large mixing bowl and scrape in the onions and spices.

• Add parsley, mint, dill, and scallions, then season with the salt the Aleppo pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.

• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix everything together well, using your hands.

• Shape the lentil-bulgur mixture with wet hands into kofte. Shape them like cigars, torpedoes, balls, or whatever shape you like.

• Arrange them on a serving platter with lettuce leaves and small wedges of fresh lemon.