Turkish Red Lentil and Bulgur Kofte - Mercimekli Kofte - 11g Carbs, 3g Fiber
Recipe By:
Serving Size: 20
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Low Cal (Less than 300 cals) Lower Carbs Low Fat (Less than 25%) Veggie
1/2 pound red lentils -- (1 1/4 cups) rinsed & picked over
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup raw fine bulgur -- (no. 4)
1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion -- finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo red pepper -- (Turkish kirmiz biber) or ground red chile
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 scallions -- finely chopped
1 small head of romaine lettuce -- leaves separated
2 lemons -- quartered
Place the lentils in a medium-size saucepan with the salt and cover by half an inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, without stirring. Pour the raw bulgur in the center of the lentils while still in the pot, stir very gently, turn the heat off, and set aside while you continue the preparation.
Meanwhile, heat the oils together in a small skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the onion, tomato paste, and ground red pepper until blended and the onion is soft, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the parsley and scallions and cook a few more minutes until soft. Stir this mixture into the lentil mixture, stirring carefully. When the lentil mixture is cool enough to handle, but still quite warm,form into thumb-size croquettes with your hands and arrange on a platter.Serve immediately with the romaine leaves while still warm (not later, and never refrigerated), wrapping a lentil kofte in a leaf and giving it a quirt of lemon juice before eating.
Makes 20 kofte (rissoles or croquettes); about 8 servings as mezze orstarter
Author Note: This recipe called 'mercimekli kofte' was prepared for me by Ms. Neriman Dal, the cook of Ildiz Carpet Farm in Milas, Turkey. I spent an afternoon with her and Tunjer Oklu, one of the managers, talking about and eating various Turkish dishes and this was quite delightful in the shade of a tree on a very hot October day. Tunjer says that a good cook must form the lentils with his hands so that everything from your soul flows into the food you've prepared. These are indeed soulful kofte. There are several things you need to be careful about when you make this. First, red lentils, which are usually for soups and stews in the Near East, candis integrated rapidly if you are not careful, so it's important to keep your eye on them while they cook.
Second, when you stir the bulgur in, do it carefully so you don't break the lentils. Finally, remember to use plenty of lemon juice squeezed on at the end - it really gives it a great taste. The Turkish red pepper can be found at many Middle Eastern markets or via the Internet at www.zingermans.com, www.turkishdeli.com/index2.html, or www.kalustyan.com.
Cuisine: "Turkish"
Source: Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford Wright, 2003"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi): "Sept 2012"
Yield: "20 rissoles/croquettes"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 70 Calories; 2g Fat (20.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mgCholesterol; 178mg Sodium
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0Fruit; 1/2 Fat
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