There is no egg or flour here; what binds the köfte is the bulgur taking up the liquid from the lentils. So the lentils need to be left fairly wet, and after the bulgur goes in you have to wait twenty minutes.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the top
Method
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Cook the lentils
Cook the lentils in water for 20 minutes, until they break down completely. There should still be liquid.
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Add the bulgur
Take off the heat, stir in the bulgur, cover and leave for 20 minutes.
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Fry the onion
Cook the onion in olive oil for 8 minutes, add the pastes and cook for 2 minutes.
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Combine
Add the onion mixture and the spices to the lentils and work by hand for 5 minutes.
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Add the herbs
Mix in the parsley and spring onion.
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Shape
Wet your hands and squeeze each piece in your palm so your fingers leave their mark.
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Serve
Serve cool with lettuce leaves.
Tips
- Do not let the lentils take up all their liquid; the bulgur needs liquid to absorb.
- If the mixture falls apart as you work it, add a little more bulgur and wait another 10 minutes.
- Wet your hands for every köfte to stop them sticking.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.