This recipe for the Bulgur Koftesi took me by surprise as it was so simple to make and delicious. When the name of the recipe says kofte, you would assume that it is a deep-fried recipe. I did the same and skipped past it a couple of times and then when I looked at it, I realized that this Bulgur koftesi is the healthiest way to serve the koftes and was amazed by how simple and easy it was to make. I had everything I needed to make this Turkish Lentil Balls recipe except the parsley and once I had that ready; it was a breeze to put it together. The recipe calls for fine bulgur and I did not have any. I did have some quick cooking bulgur which I pulsed a few times in the blender and made small. You do need bulgur that is fine as we don’t cook the bulgur on the stove, but it rather just cooks in the remaining heat after the lentils have cooked. Red lentil is nothing but the Masoor dal that I use often in adai and to make dal. If I have not told you before, I love the flavor of Masoor dal and love the Turkish Lentil soup that I make with it.
How to serve Bulgur Koftesi
The best way to serve the Vegan Mercimek kofte is to wrap it up in crisp lettuce leaves. If looking for something substantial to serve as a meal, the kofte can be stuffed inside a pita as well and served. Think of it as a non-fried falafel. I love making my flatbread to stuff the Mercimek koftesi. One of my favorite flatbreads is Aish Baladi, which I would highly suggest trying. It is a Vegan Egyptian flatbread and the rustic flavors of this whole grain flatbread are amazing with the Bulgur Kofte. When doing that also drizzle this vegan lemon tahini dressing over the kofte and you have a perfect pita sandwich. This is the second recipe that I chose under Turkish cuisine for this week’s Blogging Marathon. Preparation time - 10 minutesCooking time - 40 minutesDifficulty level - easyRecipe adapted from - here
Procedure to make Mercimek Koftesi–
Wash the lentils well and place them in a large pot along with 3 cups of water. I started with about 2 ½ cups of water and when the lentils were cooked and appeared a little on the drier side, I added about ½ more cup of hot water.
Cook the lentils on medium heat until they are soft and cooked. At this stage, the lentils should still have a little water left in them that would allow the bulgur to cook.
Add the fine bulgur to the pot and mix well. Turn off the flame, cover the pot, and let it sit for about 30 minutes until the bulgur cooks up in the leftover heat and absorbs the extra water. I did not have fine bulgur and had quick-cooking bulgur in my pantry. So, I just ground it a bit in the blender and then used it in the recipe.
After 30 minutes, you will notice that the bulgur has soaked up all the liquids and also has cooked. Let this mixture cool down a bit.
Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the oil and sauté the finely chopped onions until translucent.
Add the crushed red pepper, tomato paste (I used ketchup) and cumin powder and cook further for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the flame and add this to the cooked lentil mixture.
Add the finely chopped parsley, spring onions, and salt to the lentil mixture and mix well. I found that using my hands to mix was easier than using the ladle.
Take a handful of the mixture, shape it into a kofte shape, and place them on a serving platter.
To serve – Serve room temperature or cold koftes wrapped in lettuce.
Expert Tips
Make sure to use the finest bulgur that is available. If using coarse bulgur, it has to be cooked before we add it to the rest of the ingredients. Quick-cooking bulgur can be used instead of fine bulgur and it works just as well. Godhumai rava or broken wheat cannot be used as is in the recipe. Bulgur is a parboiled grain and broken wheat is not. We need to cook the broken wheat before substituting it with the recipe. If making it grain-free, we can use quinoa as a substitute for bulgur. Make sure to cook the quinoa before using it to make the Mercimek Koftesi.
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