Whole time:1 hour 45 minutes
Servings:6 to 7 (makes about 28 patties)
“I grew up on this,” Kamakian tells me from her house base in Lebanon, the place a part of her household ended up after the mass killings of 1915 through the battle between the Armenians and the Ottoman Empire (in 2021, President Biden became the first U.S. president to acknowledge the bloodbath as a genocide). Vospov kofte is “simple to eat. It’s very wholesome. It’s vegan. Now the development is vegan, and we grew up on these easy dishes.”
Kamakian is true in praising the dish’s simplicity. Whereas you should make investments time in cooking the lentils and prepping the elements — a meals processor could make fast work of all of the chopping, as long as you don’t overdo it and puree the whole lot — nothing is simply too difficult to do.
After cooking for an hour, the utterly broken-down crimson lentils are kneaded along with high quality bulgur (see under) and a mixture of browned and uncooked onion. Then the combination is fashioned into finger-long patties. They’ve a delicate kick from a bit of allspice and a gentle warmth that’s extra fruity than spicy due to Aleppo pepper. (Many Armenians handed by way of or remained in Aleppo, Syria, after fleeing the Ottomans.) The pepper lends the vospov kofte a stunning orange-red hue that makes for a sunny presentation on a big platter.
Kamakian notes that Armenian delicacies, which she says shares a lot with Mediterranean meals, is stuffed with contrasts — creamy and crispy, hot and cold, cooked and uncooked — and that’s what you get on this dish. The 2 onion preparations within the patties pit sharp and crunchy in opposition to candy and comfortable, with warming spice coming out in opposition to the mellow flavors of the lentils and bulgur. Add a vivid and crunchy garnish of scallions, peppers and parsley and a easy sauce of tomatoes, onions and olive oil, and also you get a symphony of the whole lot.
It’s mild and refreshing however filling, too. I ate mine on my patio on a couple of unusually heat March days, and I extremely suggest it as supreme exterior finger meals, excellent for a picnic or small gathering of family and friends. Serve it as an appetizer or mild essential.
The patties could be eaten heat after shaping, at room temperature and even cool from the fridge, as I did for a number of days after I had leftovers.
Recipe notes: The completed patties, garnish and sauce could be refrigerated, individually, for as much as 3 days. Let the sauce come to room temperature earlier than serving.
Advantageous bulgur (usually labeled #1) could be discovered at Mediterranean and Center Japanese markets, in addition to on-line. When you can’t discover high quality, place about 7 tablespoons of coarse bulgur in a spice grinder, meals processor or blender and grind for a couple of minutes till about half of it’s extra finely floor (due to Andrew Janjigian’s recipe in Cook’s Illustrated for this tip).
We strongly suggest utilizing the Aleppo pepper referred to as for right here, because it lends the correct taste and shade. It’s out there at related worldwide markets and spice outlets, in addition to on-line.
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- 1 cup (7 ounces) crimson lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon high quality salt, plus extra to style
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil (could substitute different impartial vegetable oil)
- 1 1/2 medium white or yellow onions (12 ounces), finely chopped and divided
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see headnote)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper, plus extra to style
- 1/4 teaspoon floor allspice
- 1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) high quality bulgur (see headnote)
- 3 massive tomatoes (1 3/4 kilos), finely chopped
- 1 medium white or yellow onion (8 ounces), finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon high quality salt, plus extra to style
- Pinch freshly black pepper, plus extra to style
- 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 crimson bell pepper (4 ounces), finely chopped
- 1/2 inexperienced bell pepper (4 ounces), finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped recent flat-leaf parsley
Make the patties: In a small saucepan over excessive warmth, mix the lentils with the water and produce to a boil. Skim the froth off the highest, cut back the warmth to low to keep up a naked simmer and prepare dinner for half-hour. Stir within the 1 teaspoon of salt and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till the lentils have utterly damaged down and the water has been absolutely absorbed, one other half-hour. The lentils ought to nonetheless be moist.
In the meantime, in a medium skillet over medium-high warmth, warmth the oil till shimmering. Drop a bit of onion into the oil — if it instantly sizzles, it’s prepared. Add two-thirds of the onion and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till the sides simply begin to brown, as much as 10 minutes. Take away from the warmth, stir within the remaining onion, the Aleppo pepper, black pepper and allspice, and let cool.
When the lentils are completed, switch them to a big bowl, add the bulgur and stir till completely mixed. Cowl the bowl with a plate and let relaxation for quarter-hour. Give the combination one other stir and let it cool additional, uncovered, till it’s barely heat, a further 10 to fifteen minutes. Stir within the onion combination and season to style with further salt and black pepper.
Moisten your arms and form the lentil combination into 3-inch-long, finger-shaped patties with tapered edges. Every portion will likely be roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons, or about 1 ounce every. As you form them, make a fist across the patties in order that the combination begins to squeeze in between your fingers, leaving ridges alongside one aspect. As soon as formed, switch the patties to a big platter.
Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion and olive oil. Stir within the salt and pepper, adjusting the seasoning to style.
Make the garnish: In a small bowl, mix the scallions, crimson and inexperienced bell peppers, and parsley. Sprinkle over the patties and serve, with the sauce on the aspect.
Per serving (4 patties, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/4 cup garnish), based mostly on 7
Energy: 391; Whole Fats: 22 g; Saturated Fats: 3 g; Ldl cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 690 mg; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Dietary Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 8 g; Protein: 11 g
This evaluation is an estimate based mostly on out there elements and this preparation. It mustn’t substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s recommendation.
Tailored from cookbook writer Aline Kamakian.
Examined by Becky Krystal; e-mail inquiries to voraciously@washpost.com.
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