By emensah m
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse 150 g of red lentils under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed lentils with 500 ml of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 12-15 minutes until lentils are tender and mushy. Drain any excess water.
Meanwhile, rinse 80 g of fine bulgur with cold water and drain. In a bowl, cover bulgur with hot water, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until soft, then drain any excess water.
Finely chop 1 small onion and mince 2 garlic cloves.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils, bulgur, chopped onion, minced garlic, 1 egg (or 2 tbsp plain yogurt for vegetarian binding), 1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Mix well to form a cohesive mixture.
Form the mixture into small oval shapes or balls (koftas) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the koftas with a bit of olive oil to ensure they brown nicely. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden and firm.
While the koftas are baking, prepare the tomato sauce. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to caramelize.
Add 400 g of canned tomatoes to the saucepan, season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper. Let it simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened.
For the saffron rice, rinse 1 cup of basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add the rinsed rice and a pinch of saffron or turmeric, and stir for 1 minute.
Add 1.5 cups of water and 0.5 tsp salt to the rice, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit covered for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve the baked koftas over a bed of saffron rice, topped with the tomato sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley. Offer roasted carrots or a simple cucumber-tomato salad on the side.
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By emensah m
This Vegetarian Mediterranean Main Course recipe is ready in 1 hour 15 minutes and features red lentils, fine bulgur, tomato paste and other delicious ingredients. Contains 580 calories total.
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse 150 g of red lentils under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed lentils with 500 ml of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 12-15 minutes until lentils are tender and mushy. Drain any excess water.
Meanwhile, rinse 80 g of fine bulgur with cold water and drain. In a bowl, cover bulgur with hot water, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until soft, then drain any excess water.
Finely chop 1 small onion and mince 2 garlic cloves.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils, bulgur, chopped onion, minced garlic, 1 egg (or 2 tbsp plain yogurt for vegetarian binding), 1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Mix well to form a cohesive mixture.
Form the mixture into small oval shapes or balls (koftas) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the koftas with a bit of olive oil to ensure they brown nicely. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden and firm.
While the koftas are baking, prepare the tomato sauce. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to caramelize.
Add 400 g of canned tomatoes to the saucepan, season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper. Let it simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened.
For the saffron rice, rinse 1 cup of basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add the rinsed rice and a pinch of saffron or turmeric, and stir for 1 minute.
Add 1.5 cups of water and 0.5 tsp salt to the rice, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit covered for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve the baked koftas over a bed of saffron rice, topped with the tomato sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley. Offer roasted carrots or a simple cucumber-tomato salad on the side.
Calories per Serving: 580
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