Name: Warm Lentil Salad with Köfte/Kofta (Turkish Meatballs)
Prep time: PT-489920H53M26S
Cook time: PT-489920H53M26S
Total time: PT-489920H53M26S
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: For the lentil salad:; 1 large carrot; 2 garlic cloves; 1-2 tbsp. olive oil; 5.3 oz. (150g) red lentils; 1 1/2 tsp. vegetable broth powder; 1 1/2 cups (360ml) water; 2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce; salt, pepper; 1 red pepper; 1 spring onion; For the Köfte (meat balls):; 1 garlic clove; 14 oz. (400g) ground beef; 1 tsp. cumin powder; 1/4 tsp. paprika powder; some tabasco; salt, pepper; wooden skewers; 1-2 tbsp. oli for frying; For the yogurt sauce:; 5.3 oz. (150g) plain yogurt; 1 organic lemon; salt, pepper

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Blame the Corona Virus… From now on you will find cooking recipes here besides all that baked stuff you already know. It all started two weeks ago with a recipe for The Best Bolognese Sauce *EVER* and in more ore less regular (irregular) intervals you will find recipes here on the blog which have been tried and tested many times in my kitchen. Today I got a dish that is served like this (or let’s say similar) a bit further down south: Turkish Köfte aka. meatballs with a warm lentil salad.

Lauwarmer Linsensalat mit Köfte | Bake to the roots

The world is still upside down somehow. The situation here on the blog is not much different. Last several weeks I didn’t really bake often. In contrast to many others that did not happen due to missing ingredients – I’m actually well equipped in my kitchen and always got everything I needed… even if it sometimes took several attempts or I had to wait a little bit until the supermarket around the corner was restocked. I have problems getting rid of baked goods ;) I just don’t have anyone to serve my cakes right now. In a normal world, as it used to be before Covid-19, my cakes usually ended up in my friend’s office or friends dropped by for coffee and cake. In times of “social distancing”, this is all impossible. Everybody works from home and friends cannot drop by due to official regulations. This is the reality right now. That’s why I’ve been focusing more on cooking in the last few months. Everything I cook is for two people and even if it can feed more than two, you can eat the leftovers the next day ;)

Well… things will change again soon. At least I hope so ;) I will probably keep the cooking recipes though. I enjoy cooking and since I hardly eat sweets anymore because of my diabetes, cooking got much more important for me anyway. So be prepared for more cooking recipes in the future. You will probably find many dishes we like to cook ourselves at home, classics that my mother or grandma taught me, and maybe some “fancy” stuff from our favorite restaurants that we recreated at home. The recipes will probably mostly fit the category “quick and easy” though. With some exceptions here and there I guess… it shouldn’t get boring in any case ;)

So today I got some Köfte aka. Turkish meatballs with a warm lentil salad for you. Legumes are often used in Turkish recipes and are a good choice if you are on a restricted diet. Compared with pasta lentils are much better for your blood sugar level since they take longer do digest and do not raise your blood sugar as quickly as pasta would do. If you are not into lentils you can serve these Köfte with some rice or bulgur, of course. This recipe also works fine as a meal prep recipe – you can easily keep the meatballs and salad in your fridge for days and reheat everything in the microwave. Hassle-fee lunch or dinner ;)

I’d say you have to see for yourself what kind of combination works best for you – lentil salad, rice or bulgur… you should like cumin though. Without the cumin, Köfte are not Köfte, just simple meatballs ;)

INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN

(2 servings)

For the lentil salad:
1 large carrot
2 garlic cloves
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
5.3 oz. (150g) red lentils
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable broth powder
1 1/2 cups (360ml) water
2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
salt, pepper
1 red pepper
1 spring onion

For the Köfte (meatballs):
1 garlic clove
14 oz. (400g) ground beef
1 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. paprika powder
some tabasco
salt, pepper
wooden skewers
1-2 tbsp. oil for frying

For the yogurt sauce:
5.3 oz. (150g) plain yogurt
1 organic lemon
salt, pepper

(2 Portionen)

Für den Linsensalat:
1 große Karotte
2 Knoblauchzehen
1-2 EL Olivenöl
150g rote Linsen
1 1/2 TL Gemüsebrühe-Pulver
360ml Wasser
2 EL Sweet Chili Sauce
Salz, Pfeffer
1 rote Paprika
1 Frühlingszwiebel

Für die Köfte:
1 Knoblauchzehe
400g Rinderhackfleisch
1 TL Kreuzkümmel, gemahlen
1/4 TL Paprikapulver
etwas Tabasco
Salz, Pfeffer
Schaschlikspieße
1-2 EL Öl zum Anbraten

Für die Joghurtsoße:
150g Joghurt
1 Bio-Zitrone
Salz, Pfeffer

DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG

1. Start with the lentil salad by peeling the carrot and cut it into small dices. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Heat up a large pan with some olive oil, add the diced carrot and garlic slices and fry until slightly soft. Add the lentils and cook for 1-2 minutes, add the veggie broth powder, mix and then add the water and stir. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. While the veggies are cooking wash, half and core the pepper – cut into small dices. Cut the spring onion into rings and set both to the side. As soon as the lentils are soft (but not mushy) take off the heat, add the sweet chili sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the diced pepper and set aside.

2. While the lentils are cooking you can prepare the meatballs. Peel the garlic and dice finely. Add the ground beef, diced garlic, cumin powder, and paprika powder to a bowl and mix well. Season with Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Divide into four portions and shape into little logs/sausages and “impale” them with the wooden skewers ;) Heat up a frying pan with some oil and fry the Köfte from all sides until nicely browned – about 5-6 minutes.

3. For the yogurt sauce wash the lemon with hot water and dry again. Zest and juice the lemon. Season the yogurt to your liking with the lemon zest, lemon juice as well as salt and pepper.

4. Add some of the warm lentil salad on each plate, place two Köfte on top and decorate with the spring onion rings. Serve with the yogurt sauce.

1. Für den Linsensalat die Karotte schälen und in kleine Würfel schneiden. Knoblauch schälen und in feine Scheiben schneiden. Das Olivenöl in einer großen Pfanne stark erhitzen und die Karottenwürfel und den Knoblauch darin kurz anschwitzen. Die Linsen dazugeben und 1-2 Minuten anbraten. Das Gemüsebrühe-Pulver dazugeben, unterrühren und dann mit dem Wasser ablöschen. Die Hitzezufuhr reduzieren und alles bei niedriger Temperatur für etwa 10 Minuten leicht köcheln lassen. Während das Gemüse kocht die Paprika halbieren, entkernen und dann in kleine Würfel schneiden. Die Frühlingszwiebel in Ringe schneiden – beides zur Seite stellen. Wenn die Linsen weichgekocht sind (aber nicht matschig) vom Herd nehmen, die Chili Sauce unterrühren und mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Paprikawürfel dazugeben und zur Seite stellen.

2. Während die Linsen köcheln die Köfte zubereiten. Die Knoblauchzehe schälen und fein würfeln. Das Rinderhack zusammen mit den Knoblauchwüfel, Kreuzkümmel und dem Paprikapulver in eine Schüssel geben, mit Tabasco, Salz und Pfeffer würzen und dann alles gut vermischen. Die Masse in vier Portionen teilen und zu länglichen Würsten formen und dann je einen Schaschlikspieß hineinstecken. Eine Pfanne mit etwas Öl erhitzen und die Köfte rundum scharf anbraten – etwa 5-6 Minuten.

3. Für die Joghurtsoße die Zitrone heiß abwaschen und trocknen. Die Schale abreiben und den Saft auspressen. Den Joghurt nach belieben mit dem Abrieb und Zitronensaft verrühren und mit etwas Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.

4. Zum Anrichten den Linsensalat auf die Teller verteilen, zwei Köfte darauf legen und mit den Frühlingszwiebelröllchen dekorieren. Den Joghurt dazu servieren.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.

Warm Lentil Salad with Köfte/Kofta (Turkish Meatballs)

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Author: Bake to the roots
Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 20m
Total Time: 40m
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Turkish

Print Recipe

Description

Delicious lunch or dinner recipe – warm lentil salad with Turkish meatballs aka. Köfte. Great flavor combination!

Ingredients

For the lentil salad:

1 large carrot

2 garlic cloves

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

5.3 oz. (150g) red lentils

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable broth powder

1 1/2 cups (360ml) water

2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce

salt, pepper

1 red pepper

1 spring onion

For the Köfte (meat balls):

1 garlic clove

14 oz. (400g) ground beef

1 tsp. cumin powder

1/4 tsp. paprika powder

some tabasco

salt, pepper

wooden skewers

1-2 tbsp. oli for frying

For the yogurt sauce:

5.3 oz. (150g) plain yogurt

1 organic lemon

salt, pepper

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Instructions

3. For the yogurt sauce wash the lemon with hot water and dry again. Zest and juice the lemon. Season the yogurt to your liking with the lemon zest, lemon juice as well as salt and pepper.

4. Add some of the warm lentil salad on each plate, place two Köfte on top and decorate with the spring onion rings. Serve with the yogurt sauce.