Lentil Kufte

My Armo and I had our first Christmas Eve dinner after we were married at his Aunt Adrine’s house. The smells and warmth radiated from the door as she ushered us inside. It was my first Armenian holiday meal and one that remains a highlight.

His aunt brought out a platter full of small golden patties, which I soon learned were lentil kufte. With the glorious sweet and deep notes of brown onion contrasting against the earthy lentils with a bit of fresh herbs, they soon became one of my favorite side dishes and is especially easy to feed guests because it’s eaten at room temperature.

If you look up lentil kufte recipes, they are pretty similar but have varying degrees of lentil to bulger ratio. Feel free to play around with the ratios and find something that you love.

While this isn’t Adrine’s recipe, it is pretty close. She used red lentils which can be a bit tricky to find outside of ethnic groceries. You can use brown lentils which are more common in groceries and that is usually what I use.

Lentil Kufte Ingredients
½ c olive oil
5 ½ c chopped onion
2 c red lentils
4 c water
1 ½ tsp salt (divided)
1 c bulger #1
2 tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
¾ c thinly sliced green onions (green parts)
½ c chopped parsley
Salad greens (optional)

Lentil Kufte Directions
Heat a saute pan with ½ c olive oil until it glistens. Add a piece or two of onion. You should hear a sizzle that continues to sizzle. If it gets quiet, add more heat. When the heat is correct, add 5 ½ c chopped onion to the pan.

Stir occasionally until the onions are deep brown. You’ll see liquid leach out and the liquid should be bubbling. This cuisine uses higher heat to brown their onions than caramelizing onions so don’t be afraid of heat – just make sure you don’t burn them. When the onions are done, remove it from the heat.

Add 4 c water to a sauce pan with 2 c lentil and 1 tsp salt. Cover it. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer until the lentils absorb the water and are slightly mushy. You can add a little water if needed.

Put 1 c of bulger in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it in water.

When the lentils are cooked, turn off the heat and add the washed bulgur wheat. Stir until combined.

Add the brown onions, 2 tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp cayenne to the lentil mixture. Mix until it is well combined. Taste. Add salt if needed.

Shape the patties. There are a few common shapes for lentil kufte but the one we do is to roll the mixture between the palms of your hands to create a 2” ball. Then slightly flatten the ball to create a fat patty.

Put a layer of salad greens on a plate drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Arrange the patties on top of the greens and sprinkle ¾ c of sliced green onions and ½ c of chopped parsley on top of the patties.

Notes
You can sprinkle a little paprika on top of the patties for extra color before you add the parsley and green onions.

While sumac is not usually in Armenian lentil kufte, you can sprinkle a little on top of the patties in place of paprika. It will bring color and a delightful bit of tart.

You can add a few patties to a wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickled turnips for a lunch on the go.

Bulgur #1 is the finest grind of bulgur wheat. Ethnic stores that have middle eastern food will have it. If you can’t find it, you can use another number, but the texture will be different.