Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Meatballs)
Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Meatballs) is a healthy and flavourful Turkish dish made with fine bulgur, red lentils, onions, tomato & red pepper paste, and spices.
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 83kcal
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 Measuring cups
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Sharp knife
Ingredients
- ½ cup red lentil (100 grams)
- 1 cup fine bulgur (200 grams)
- 2 cups water (500 ml)
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pepper paste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup parsley (finely chopped)
- 5 spring onions (thinly sliced)
- gem lettuce or roman lettuce (to serve)
- lemon slices or wedges (to garnish)
Instructions
- Wash the red lentils and place them in a saucepan with 500 ml of water.
- Bring the pan to a boil on medium heat and cook until the lentils are soft, approximately 20 mins. There should still be some water left in the pan when the lentils are cooked.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the bulgur. Put a lid on and let the bulgur absorb the rest of the water. The bulgur will cook and swell in about 20 minutes.
- While the bulgur is cooking and swelling, place the chopped onions in a frying pan with olive oil. Gently saute them on low heat until soft and translucent.
- When the onions are soft, add the tomato paste and pepper paste(you can replace the pepper paste with tomato paste if you don't have it but I would suggest you keep some in the fridge!), and cook for a minute.
- Add freshly ground black pepper, paprika, chili (optional), cumin, turmeric, and salt, and sauté for 30 seconds before taking off the heat.
- Add the sautéed onions to the lentil and bulgur mixture then nicely combine them together. Let it cool down until easy to handle.
- When the mixture is cold enough to handle, add parsley and spring onion, and mix again until nicely combined.
- Shape the mixture into long oblong meatballs. Dip your hand in a little water to avoid it sticking.
- Serve them with lettuce leaves and lemon slices/wedges.
Video
Notes
- These vegan lentil balls are usually served cold or at room temperature along with lots of lettuce and lemon slices. Perfect for picnics or midnight cravings!
- They are called kofte for their shape although they don't contain any meat.
- These vegan meatballs can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you want to keep them longer, you can refrigerate them and keep for up to a week or freeze them and keep them for up to 3 months.
- While shaping the lentil balls, dip your hand in a little water to avoid it sticking.
- The ratio of water to lentils is very important and needs to be followed for the right texture for the koftes.
- Be sure to finely chop the onions and parsley for a better taste and texture.
- Let the mixture cool down before shaping it into kofte balls. This will make it easier to handle and prevent the mixture from falling apart.
- Refrigerate Mercimek Köftesi for at least an hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together and make them easier to handle.
Nutrition
Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg