If there is a bonding experience a mother and a daughter share when cooking, this has usually been the dish that makes it happen for me and my daughter.  Some mothers and daughters prefer cookies, some make dolma together, ours is this dish. Every time we make it, as we give a little squeeze and shape each mixture of bulgur and lentils into bite size pieces, we laugh and enjoy our time together. Try our recipe, and create an experience to connect with your family while playing with your food.

Boil the lentils in a pot with water covering them fully. Keep adding more water if water is absorbed, until lentils are fully cooked. Once they are cooked, they will soften, disintegrate and take a yellow color.  Add salt, as you taste and mix. Make sure to taste, taste and taste as you add salt to your liking. But note that the lentils soak up the salt and will require quite a bit of it. Then, take the pot off the heat, add the lentils to the measured amount of bulgur in a bowl, mix well and cover. (You should taste now for salt again but as you will notice, it will get harder to mix after combining with bulgur). While the bulgur mixture rests, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium size pan, warm the olive oil (or butter) and saute the onions with garlic until the onions become translucent. Add the tomato paste, red pepper flakes (don’t worry if you can’t tolerate any heat as once the flakes are mixed with the rest of the ingredients, the heat will not even be noticeable) and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients including parsley and scallions into the bulgur and lentil mixture.  Keep the mixture covered and let it rest some more.  Check the mixture for texture, and if it is too dry, add a bit of hot water. It should be difficult to mix but still humid to the touch.

In about 15 minutes and when the mixture is cooler, you can start the shaping process. Place a small scoop of the mixture in the middle of your palm, squeeze a few times for an elongated shape in that hand, and continue shaping by switching it between your palms as you smooth the outer surface. The final pieces will have a longer, eye like shape and will have barely noticeable finger marks on them.  That is just the way they are supposed to be.

Place them on a platter, as you go through the whole mixture. For better presentation, put some lettuce leaves on the platter before you start loading it.  You may also serve each piece rolled in a lettuce leave and eat them like that.  The dish can be served warm or cold, but it is best served on the same day as the pieces are likely to get dry. To prevent drying, wrap your platter tightly with plastic wrap until you serve.

My daughter joins me with the shaping of the mercimek köfte. Gather around a table and play with your food!  Squeeze and pop them into your mouth just like we do. Hope this presents you with an opportunity to connect with your family just like it does for us. At the end, you will share a few laughters, and a tasty and healthy meal.  It is also a nice presentation and an attractive dish for any guest, if you want to extend the invitation for the festivities.

Afiyet Olsun! 

Gulenden