Turkish Lentil Recipe (Mercimek)
By: sevgi
Published: Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 8:19pm

Ingredients




1 cup Dry Green Lentils
1/2 pound Ground Beef
1 small Onion, Diced
1 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoons Tomato Paste
1 1/2 cups Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Crusty Bread for dipping (Optional)

Preparation

1 Soak the dry green lentils for at least 30 minutes. Drain. 2 In a dutch oven, add 1 T. butter. 3 Once the butter melts, add the diced onions. Cook until translucent. 4 Add the ground beef, cook until browned. 5 Add 2 T. of tomato paste, mix with the ground beef mixture. 6 Season with Salt and Pepper. 7 Add the green lentils. 8 Add the water; please note that the consistency should be like a stew rather than a soup. Monitor the water level during cooking. If you notice that it is turning out to be like a paste, then add more water. 9 Cook until lentils are soft, about 35-40 minutes. 10 To serve: Eat as a stew with crusty bread, or put the lentils on top of Turkish rice with fideos.

About


I just love this Turkish lentil recipe. It is such a hearty and heart-warming dish, especially during the winter nights. I got this recipe from my mom.
It is such a simple dish to make. One would never think it is that easy, since it tastes like you have been stewing it all afternoon!