Easy Red Lentil Balls: Party Food

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You can place your trust in me – after savoring these delightful lentil balls, resisting the urge to indulge in several more might be a challenge. This dish holds a cherished spot among the favorites of numerous friends. It’s worth noting that this recipe has been put to the test and received the seal of approval from many.

The picture below is from the International Women’s Christmas Festival. The Red Lentil Balls aka Mercimek Köftesi was the first dish that was sold out.

Ingredients

The ingredients of this recipe are quite common, easily accessible and low cost;

• fine bulgur; meaning bulgur that are tiny and not coarse.
• red lentils, you will need to use red lentils as they cook faster than the green or the other ones.
• some greens and some spices. Do not give up making if your are missing some of the ingredients such as spring onions or pepper paste. Replace with dry onions and just add some more chilli peppers, the outcome will still be amazing.

Preparing the Lentil Balls

The trick is just to follow the recipe. It works every time. Here it goes;

• Rinse the lentils in a colander under flowing water. Drain and transfer the lentils into a large pot. This step is necessary to remove the dust and the starch of the lentils.
• Add the measured water onto the lentils and boil and let simmer until lentils are almost mashed. This should take about 15 minutes after the water comes to boil. While boiling if ugly looking foams come up on the water, just skim them out with a spoon and discard.
• When the lentils are ready add the bulgur on top together with a chopped onion and a crushed/minced garlic clove, together with tomato and pepper paste. Mix well, cover and set aside too cool.
• Meanwhile in another pan sauté the remaining onion and garlic. Add to the lentils together with chopped parsley and spring onions.
• Finally add the spices; cumin, red pepper flakes, salt.
• Do not forget to add a lemon’s juice.
• Knead with your hand, shape and serve.

Additional Tips

Do not panic if the lentil balls crumble or do not take the shape you want them to there are two things you can do:

1. You can go ahead and serve the mixture like a taboulleh salad, or
2. You can add some more warm water or a little bit more lemon’s juice or some olive oil to make the mixture more moist and it will take shape.

These vegan lentil balls can be prepared a day ahead and will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. However keep them covered in a container.

Garnish with lettuce leaves and serve with a slice of lemon.

Please write to me, how you ended up.

Enjoy – Afiyet olsun.

If you’ve liked this recipe take a look at my some other plant based recipes:

Print Pin

Lentil Balls / Mercimek Köftesi

Once you taste one of these, you can easily become addict to it and will want to eat another one.

Course Appetizer, Vegan

Cuisine Turkish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 40 balls

Calories 190kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2½ cup water
• 1 cup fine bulgur
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon pepper paste
• 2 onions medium size
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ red pepper flakes
• 2-3 lemon’s juice
• 5-6 stalks parsley
• ½ bunch spring onions
• 1 lettuce optional

Instructions

• Rinse the lentils to get rid of their dusty smell. Put them in a large pot adding the 2½ cups of water. Cook until almost all the water is soaked up by the lentils and they are now almost mashed. Should take around 15 minutes after water comes to boil. If while boiling ugly looking foams come up, discard these.
• Right after turning the heat off; add ½ tablespoon of tomato paste and ½ tablespoon of pepper paste and the bulgur to the lentils. Also add one of the chopped onions and a minced garlic clove. Mix well. Cover the lid and set aside to cool. This way all the material you have added will be cooked and blended with the heat of the lentils. The bulgur with expand.
• Meanwhile chop the other onion and the remaining garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil in another pan and add the chopped onion and remaining garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent.
• Add the remaining ½tablespoon of tomato paste and ½ tablespoon of pepper paste, cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add cumin, stir once and remove from heat.
• The lentil mixture is probably cooled by now, add the second pan’s contents on top of the lentils. Stir with a wooden spoon until it is cool enough to touch. Then knead well with your hand until all the material is well mixed, somewhat sticky and smooth.
• Add salt and red pepper flakes to your taste.
• Squeeze the juice of 2-3 lemons and add
• Chop parsley and the spring onions as small as possible and add to the lentil dough. Mix again. Taste, adjust if necessary, with more lemon's juice or salt and pepper.
• Make small lentil balls as seen in the picture with your hands. If the balls are crumbling and you cannot shape the mixture; use some more drinking warm water, lemon juice or olive oil.
• Serve on top of lettuce leaves.
• Generally served as a tea time treat, or as a mezhe/starter/side dish.

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