Lentil and bulgur wheat balls recipe
"This traditional dish is made by Turkish women to share among themselves at all-female parties. The Turkish friend who taught me how to make it is very particular about the texture, insisting that the bulgur should be a finely ground type. I make it using ordinary bulgur, which is easier to handle. I’m not sure it would pass muster with Turkish housewives, but it is good at a picnic, or as a cold nibble for a barbecue."
Makes about 30 balls.
Ingredients
- 180 g red lentils
- 4 tbsp tomato purée
- 100 g bulgur wheat
- 100 ml light olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch dried chilli flakes, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 6.3 oz red lentils
- 4 tbsp tomato purée
- 3.5 oz bulgur wheat
- 3.5 fl oz light olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch dried chilli flakes, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 6.3 oz red lentils
- 4 tbsp tomato purée
- 3.5 oz bulgur wheat
- 0.4 cup light olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch dried chilli flakes, adjust to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 cos lettuce and extra green salad leaves
- 1 cos lettuce and extra green salad leaves
- 1 cos lettuce and extra green salad leaves
Details
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- Put the lentils and 500ml water in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked but still holding their shape – keep checking so that they don’t overcook. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the tomato purée and the bulgur. Cover and leave to one side for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add a generous half of the onion. Stir and fry gently until it becomes transparent. Turn off the heat.
- Tip the lentil mixture into a bowl. Stir in the fried onion with its oil, plus the remaining raw onion, and all the other ingredients except the lemon juice. Stir very well, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lemon juice to taste.
- Shape into walnut-sized balls. The mixture should hold together without being overly sticky or dry. Chill until needed.
- Remove the leaves from the lettuce. Use each one like a little boat, putting four or five of the balls inside in a row. Serve with green salad.
This recipe was taken from The Picnic Cookbook by Laura Mason, published by National Trust Books. Recipe photography by Yuki Sugiura.
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