Snack · 45 min · turkish

Mercimek Kofte (Red Lentil Balls)

Weeknight-friendly Turkish cooking: Mercimek Kofte (Red Lentil Balls) comes together in 45 minutes with red lentils, fine bulgur, and not much else. Each serving lands at 220 calories with 9g of protein, so it eats like a much heavier meal. No specialty equipment and nothing hard to find at a regular grocery store.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Red lentils
• 1 cup Fine bulgur
• 1 Onion
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 0.25 cup Olive oil
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 4 Scallions
• 0.5 cup Parsley
• 2 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Simmer the lentils in 3 cups of water for 20 minutes until they collapse into a thick porridge. Stir in the bulgur off the heat, cover, and rest 20 minutes — the bulgur steams in the residual heat.
2. Meanwhile, soften the chopped onion in the olive oil until golden, then stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes.
3. Work the onion mixture into the lentil-bulgur mass with your hands until uniform, then fold in the lemon juice, chopped scallions, and parsley. Season boldly with salt.
4. With damp hands, squeeze small portions into oval balls, pressing firmly so they hold. The classic shape is a small torpedo with finger ridges.
5. Chill 30 minutes to firm up. Serve cool or at room temperature with lettuce leaves for wrapping and extra lemon wedges.

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