Red Lentil Meatballs
A traditional dish from İzmir, Mercimek Köftesi is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, served with a tomato sauce.
⏱️ 20 min prep + 15 min cottura · 4 porzioni · facile
Ingredients
- 200 g of red lentils
- 200 g of beef
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 1 tablespoon of ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
- 1 liter of tomato sauce
Method
- Rinse the lentils and cook them in salted water for 15-20 minutes, then let them cool down.
- Finely chop the garlic and onion.
- In a bowl, mix the meat, lentils, garlic, onion, egg, parsley, ginger, chili, salt, and pepper.
- Form small balls with the mixture.
- Fry the balls in hot oil until they are crispy.
- Serve the mercimek köftesi with tomato sauce.
The story
Mercimek Köftesi has ancient origins and is said to have originated during the Turkish War of Independence, when soldiers needed easy-to-prepare food.
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