Turkish · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Turkish Red Lentil and Bulgur Patties
Mercimek köftesi
Soft, savoury patties of red lentils and fine bulgur, warmed with cumin, tomato paste and chilli, then folded with parsley and spring onions. Tuck them into crisp lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lemon for a light, filling bite.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 64% · Fat 19% · Protein 17%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup190 gRed lentils
- 3 cups720 gWater
- 1 cup160 gFine bulgur
- 1 medium110 gOnion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp27 gOlive oil
- 2 tbsp32 gTomato paste
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspRed pepper flakes (pul biber)
- 1 tsp6 gSalt
- 1 cup60 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 460 gSpring onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup10 gFresh mint, chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp30 gLemon juice
- 1 head (about 16 leaves)280 gRomaine lettuce leaves
Steps
- 1
Rinse the red lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear.
- 2
Put the lentils and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and most of the water is absorbed.
- 3
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the bulgur, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes so the bulgur soaks up the remaining liquid.
- 4
While the mixture rests, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- 5
Stir the tomato paste, cumin and red pepper flakes into the onion and cook for 1 minute.
- 6
Tip the onion mixture into the lentils and bulgur and mix well, then let it cool until comfortable to handle.
- 7
Knead in the salt, lemon juice, parsley, spring onions and mint (if using) until the mixture holds together.
- 8
With damp hands, shape heaped tablespoons into small oval patties, pressing lightly with your fingers to make a ridge.
- 9
Serve the patties in lettuce leaves, at room temperature.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, replace the bulgur with cooked fine quinoa and choose a tomato paste and pepper flakes labelled gluten-free.
- Use 1 tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne instead of pul biber if you can't find Turkish pepper flakes.
- Swap the romaine for butter lettuce or little gem leaves for softer, easier wraps.
- Leave out the mint and use extra parsley if you prefer a milder herb flavour.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover patties in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, serving them cold or at room temperature. Keep the lettuce separate, and avoid freezing as the herbs and texture suffer.
Make ahead
Cook the lentil and bulgur base up to a day ahead and chill it covered, then knead in the lemon and fresh herbs and shape the patties shortly before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Gluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (420 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 411 kcal | 98 kcal |
| Protein | 18.7 g | 4.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69.8 g | 16.6 g |
| of which sugars | 3.9 g | 0.9 g |
| Fiber | 13.5 g | 3.2 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 2.1 g |
| of which saturated | 1.3 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 623 mg | 148 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
