These red Turkish Lentil kofte or Kofta are so versatile you could call them lentil balls or lentil bites. Or meatless meatballs? But before that, an announcement.
I am pleased to announce that my book Rice Bowl topped the charts and achieved the honor of being #1 Bestseller in the Amazon Kindle store in Indian cooking and one more category. Thank you so much for all your inspiration and support. I am struck dumb by the huge popularity of 30 Days of Daal, and now Rice Bowl. And now, back to our recipe.
The Indian Malai Kofta or other meat based Kofta dishes are obviously derived from the Middle Eastern kofte or kefte. But using lentils to make these kind of Lentil Kofta Curry is not very common in India.
Red lentils are my favorite kind of lentil. The Masoor Daal with Onion, one of the easy recipes from my popular book 30 Days of Daal is my favorite. And bulgur is also a staple in my kitchen. When I read about the Turkish Red Lentil Kofte, I liked the concept but also saw that they had a lot of bulgur.
To me, combining lentils and bulgur means Khichdi, a kind of stew which is pretty common in our kitchen. So I decided to skip the bulgur and use a majority of lentils for the recipe. In the end, this recipe turned out to be more of an adaptation of the traditional Turkish recipe.
I have tried to keep the flavor combinations intact, and also made it quicker or easier by using dry spices and herbs. The Turkish Lentil Kofte are cooked well and then just shaped into fingers. I wanted to avoid cooking time so I baked these. These are very low fat and I compensated by creating a creamy dip :).
The Creamy Red Pepper Dip – what can I say about it? It is tahini based but I made it from scratch using sesame seeds. I guess you can use bottled tahini for a more convenient version. I just prefer to use raw soaked sesame seeds.
Paprika and red pepper figure a lot in this recipe, and so does cumin and mint. Garlic of course makes an appearance. One thing I love about red lentils is that they cook so quickly, even without a pressure cooker. Even soaking them in hot water almost cooks them. The baking step just gives them a crunchy cover.
These lentil kofte held together well and were moist inside. This is a good vegan snack and the dip is vegan too if you are not adding dairy based yogurt.
Turkish Lentil Kofte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp dry mint
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds or Tahini
- 2 Tbsp dry oats
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
- Oil for brushing
- ¼ cup sesame seeds or tahini
- ½ tsp raw crushed garlic
- ¼ cup red capsicum or bell pepper chopped
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (optional)
- Pinch of dry mint
Method
- Soak the sesame seeds in water for 1-2 hours.
- Wash and drain lentils. Pour 2-3 cups of hot water over them and let them soak for 3-4 hours.
- Drain soaked lentils and add to food processor. Add 1 Tbsp of soaked sesame seeds or tahini and pulse until smooth or slightly coarse, per your preference.
- Transfer to bowl and add all the spices and seasonings to this lentil mix.
- Crush the quick cooking oats in your hand to make almost a powder out of them. Add these to the lentils. You can now form patties or balls, or roll into any shape. I formed small balls.
- Place the lentil balls or kofte on a greased baking sheet. Brush with some oil or use a spray.
- Bake at 375F or 200C for 20-30 minutes until they are slightly golden and crunchy on the outside.
- Turn them once to brown evenly.
- Combine all ingredients and process until smooth.
- If you are using yogurt, mix it in at the end.
- Lentil kofte are ready to be served.
- *This recipe makes about 12-14 ping pong ball size kofte. You can easily double the recipe for more.
Serve these Turkish Lentil Kofte with the dip as an appetizer or place them in lettuce leaves. You can also crumble them in a wrap, slather on the sauce and then add crunchy veggies for a wrap. These kofte are quite substantial.
However you serve it, this is a super healthy plant based recipe without too much added oil.
And here’s a Pinnable delight 🙂
These sound so awesome!! A savory bite perfect for a party! This is a stand out! Pinned!
Thanks Rebecca 😊
I’m a big fan of red lentils and always looking for new recipes to try them in. This is next on my list! Thanks for a great recipe 😉
Hello Vanessa…Glad you liked it…i will certainly be making these again 😊
I love lentils and have never made them this way. Thanks so much for sharing. They will be my appetizer tonight!
Hey Nancy..thanks..yes, this is the first I have come across them in this form too.
Yum! I’m thinking of all sorts of things to put that dip on. 🙂 Looks delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Hey Danielle, I ate a lot of this dip just by itself..guess there is something to be said in favor of spicy dips..so you don’t gobble them up.
Congratulation on your book – that’s so fantastic, as is this wonderful kofte recipe. Great use of lentils!
Hello Kelly 😊 Thanks..the book has sure kept me busy!
Hello Kelly! You noticed 🙂 Thanks for your kind words.
Wow, congratulations!! That is so awesome and well deserved! And that red pepper dip is calling my name!!
Hey Jenn, thanks…really appreciate your kind words!
Looks delicious Pragathi:) Liked the creamy dip ! want to try this soon.
thanks Uma!
Looks amazing, and that dip!
hello Linda! Thanks for visiting..
Congratulations on your book and this is another great recipe. Such lovely flavours going on. My kind of food!
hello Mel..thanks much…hope you enjoy! 🙂
I just bought more lentils so yay, can’t wait to try your delicious recipe and congrats on your book!!!
Hello Debra…you’re so kind…thanks!
I’ve never tried these before but the look delicious! I love the creamy dip too!
Hey Sophia…you’re the queen of sauces and dips…so thanks!
I love your idea of lentil kofta, that’s brilliant! And the red pepper dip sounds perfect for them!
hello Gin! Thanks 🙂 Glad you like this.
Congratulations on your book success! Oh and these balls look amazing, I love that you used tahini in the recipe 🙂
Hi Lucie! Yes, it is my goto option after peanuts 🙂 Thanks for the wishes.
Oh my goodness, these sound amazing, will definitely be trying these soon – pinning! And congratulations on the popularity of your cookbook – that is fantastic!
Hello Donna, Thanks so much for your kind words and wishes…
Congratulations on Rice Bowl Pragati! What a well deserved accomplishment! The Turlish Lentil Kofte looks quite delicious with the meatball size looking perfect as a filling meal! The photos are quite sensational as well!
Hi Peggy! Thanks for the compliments 🙂 trying to improve, always!
Congratulations on your book – how very exciting! I love both of the recipes you have here! I love lentils and have been thinking of meatless meatballs lately. This is a tasty version, for sure! The dip? Great flavors! Love this!
Hey Patricia! So nice to see you here…I had another version of meatless meatballs on this blog too..but this one’s much easier and also more delicate. Thanks for the wishes.
Super Congratulations on your book success Pragati!! So proud of u!! 🙂
This recipe looks yummy – the koftes yes but the dip sounds sooper yummy. Will surely try making it – Thanks for sharing.
Hey Archana..how are you? So nice to see you here…thanks 🙂 🙂