LENTIL BALLS

This one is a classic...One of the favorites of the Turkish housewives as it is easy to make yet delicious. I always thought that it is so typical and known to everybody so I wouldn’t normally bother to post this but the other day a friend of mine told me that she’s never tried to make lentil balls at home because she always thought it is difficult to make. I decided to post then.

If you are vegetarian and haven’t heard of this recipe yet, I think it is something for you – I am sure you’ll love it!

Ingredients: (Serves 4 – 6)

1 glass of red lentil

1 glass of fine bulgur

2 medium sized onions, in small cubes

3 spoons of tomato paste (domates salçasi)

1 spoon of red pepper paste (biber salçasi)

Half a bundle of parsley, chopped fine

4 – 5 green onions, chopped fine

1 desert spoon of cumin

1 spoon of dried mint

Salt to your liking

4-5 spoons of olive oil

Juice of 1 – 2 lemons (depends on how sour you want your lentil balls to be!)

Method:

1. Wash the lentil, rinse and drain. Boil them in water which is just two fingers’ higher than the level of the lentils. The lentil should be very soft and loose its shape. However a bit of water must remain after the lentil is softened so that we can soak the bulgur in the soft lentil!! If the lentil has soaked all the water, add just a bit of warm water, let it cook for a minute or so. You can pour the bulgur in it, mix with the lentil and cover it and let it rest. Covering it is important for bulgur to get soft!
2. Sauté the onions till they turn pink in the olive oil.
3. Add the tomato and pepper paste to it and continue sautéing for two or three minutes more.
4. In the mean time, the bulgur and the lentils should be ready as well. 
5. With the help of a spoon mix the lentil, bulgur and the onion mix. You can also add the lemon juice, the salt and the spices at this moment. 
6. When the mixture gets a bit colder, you can add the legumes. Mix well. 
7. Time to give them meatball shapes!  

Step 1

Step 4

Step 3

a plate of lentil balls!

ready to be eaten! yummy yumm