My immediate family is not big, it is just me, my younger brother, our parents, and our dog Buddy. My extended family, especially on my mom’s side, is much bigger. Mom and Tiya (my aunt) have lots of cousins with whom we spent many holidays, bayrams and family reunions. When family comes together, it is almost always around food. This is partly very Turkish and partly my family’s tradition. You never invite guests over and not serve them food. There has to be some kind of pastry or appetizer ready to be served with tea at all times. You also never go to someone else’s house empty handed. So naturally, a lot of family get togethers turn into potlucks. Everyone brings a dish and sometimes my mom, aunt and all the cousins coordinate who is bringing what to make sure there are no duplicates. Lentil kofte is one of the dishes that my mom likes to make often for these get togethers and it is loved by everyone.

Lentils are the magic ingredient. They can be cooked in many ways, from soups to salads to curries, and I think they provide the perfect stage for spices to shine. This lentil kofte recipe is a meatless, lentil and bulgur “ball” with herbs and spices. They are great to serve for large groups and always a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know why but I haven’t made lentil kofte in a long time. I think I tend to forget some Turkish foods because I am often not exposed to them here in Seattle. Also, I like to try my hand at cooking different cuisines as Cesar and I enjoy a wide variety of food. So when I finally made this recipe after a long time, I kind of broke the tradition and did not invite anyone over for tea. Instead, Cesar and I gobbled down half of it in a day, both for lunch and dinner and finished the rest the day after. But, sharing is caring right? I am sharing the recipe with you so you can bring it over for your next get together and impress your friends and family (or just keep it to yourself, I won’t judge you, I promise).

Yields: 6 servings Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup red lentil

3/4 cup fine grain bulgur*

1 large onion, grated and cooked (about 1 cup cooked)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh dill, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2-3 scallions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin

Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation

1. Thoroughly rinse the lentils in a strainer or colander under running water until the water is running clear and not murky.

2. Transfer lentils to a pot. Pour in 3 cups of water.

3. Over high-medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender and no longer crunchy.

4. Put the bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Once the lentils are cooked, while still hot, add the cooked lentils to the mixing bowl with bulgur. Give everything a quick stir.

5. Cover the mixing bowl with a dish towel and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Bulgur is going to absorb the steam and the liquids from the lentils.

6. While the bulgur and lentils are resting, prepare the onions. Grate the onions with a grater or chopper. In small pan, over high-medium heat, cook the onions with olive oil for 3-5 minutes.

7. Uncover the mixing bowl. Add in the cooked onions, tomato paste, all the spices, chopped herbs and green onions. Mix everything until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

8. Take small chunks of the mixture, shape them like ellipses and transfer to a plate. Serve immediately or after refrigerating, with lemon wedges.

Note: Lentils go bad quickly if left at room temperature for a long time. If you are not going to serve this dish immediately store it in the fridge. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

* Fine grain bulgur can be found in specialty grocery stores. I generally find it at stores that sell Middle Eastern or Indian ingredients. In the first picture below, I tried to show you the difference between coarse grain bulgur (on the left) and fine grain bulgur (on the right).