
Here’s another version of kibbeh, prepared the Armenian way. It’s a kibbeh of bulgur and fragrant herbs with cooked split yellow lentils. Vospov kofte is a Lenten dish and a perfect option for a light and nutritious summer meal. Armenian cuisine is best known for its soujouk (spicy sausage), mante (meat-filled ravioli in a yogurt sauce), and lahm b’ajin (meat pies), but other Armenian home-cooked dishes such as this are definitely worth discovering.
- 1 cup (192 g) split yellow lentils
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
- 3 scallions
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 g) fine-grind white bulgur
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
For the garnish:
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 cucumber
- 1 scallion
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 2 or 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus a few leaves for more garnish
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Ground sumac
- Kamal Mouzawak
- kamal@soukeltayeb.com
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Rinse and drain the lentils, place in a pot and add fresh water to cover, and bring to a boil.
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Take off the foam when it forms at the surface, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are very well cooked, mushy, and form a thick paste. Stir occasionally to help break the lentils into a paste.
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Meanwhile, finely chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion until lightly golden.
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Finely chop the scallions and the parsley.
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Mix the cooked lentils, cooked onion, scallions, parsley, bulgur, salt, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, and knead everything together to form a homogeneous mix. It must be as thick as a dough, not too runny and not too stiff. If it is too stiff, add few drops of olive oil and water. If it is too runny, let it cool a bit and it should get firmer.
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For the garnish, finely chop the tomato, cucumber, scallion, pepper, and parsley sprigs and mix all together with the salt and cumin. Season to taste with sumac.
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Shape the kibbeh into pieces the size and shape of fingers, garnish with parsley leaves, and serve along with the garnish.