Mercimek: Red Lentil Kofte

While traveling in Turkey over this past summer, I tried bulgur starters that looked liked someone had gotten angry, begun to close their hand into a fist, and then stopped half way.  They were really good but I figured that they would too labor intensive, since each piece needs to be formed by hand. 

Recently, at a Turkish restaurant in Manhattan, I ordered 'red lentil balls' not exactly knowing what to expect but wanting to try something new.  When the starter came out, there was the red lentil, shaped in the same way as the bulgur that I ate in Turkey.   I would say that red lentil balls is not the best way to describe this so I am introducing the Turkish word for lentil, Mercimek, and also calling it lentil kofte (kofte is usually used for round or long ground meat dishes and also applies to the shape of the lentil here).

Well, I got home and realized that labor intensive or not, I loved cooking with red lentil too much not to try this dish.  I came up with my own recipe for making these including parsley, cumin, and chili powder, all commonly used in Turkish cuisine.  The good news, these were actually very easy to make.  Much faster than making dolma (which I also made recently and will post about later this week). This is a great, easy dish that can be served as a starter.  Just add lemon slices and sprinkle them with lemon juice for extra flavor!

And PS: Don't forget about our jewelry giveaway that is closing on Friday of this week!

Ingredients
Makes about 20-24 pieces

1 cup red lentil
1 cup water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small yellow onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh lemon slices

1.  In a small pot, over low heat, cook red lentil for about 15 minutes, until most of the water is gone.  The lentil should be soft but not too mushy.  Let the lentil cool for 20 minutes, until it can be handled.

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the lentil with the tomato paste, grated onion, garlic, parsley, and spices.  Mix together until well combined.

3.  Shape each piece by rolling a small portion in your hand.  Spread your fingers apart and press them into the lentil to create the shape.

4.  Serve at room temperature with lemon slices.

Enjoy!

~Rona