Wednesday 02 December 2020

Cook With AGS - Lentil Keftedakia

As we head towards the holidays, it’s time to embrace the cold weather and nourish ourselves with warming, hearty meals. Who better to teach us but our good friend and #CookwithAGS partner, Christina Kotsileliou.

Today we bring you Lentil Keftedakia, a delicious meatball dish found in tavernas as well as many households across Greece. Usually fried and served with potato chips, these meatballs can also be baked in the oven for a healthier take on the traditional. Our vegetarian version is packed with spices and flavour, just the dish to get you through these chillier climes!

Lentil Keftedakia

Serves 4

160g cooked black Beluga lentils
150g cooked bulgar wheat or quinoa
70g rice flour
160g silken tofu
10g flax seed powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
50g olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
10 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste

And for the lemon and mint yoghurt (to serve):

200g Greek yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced (or more, according to taste)
5 sprigs mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Combine the lentils, bulgar wheat (or quinoa,) rice flour, silken tofu, flax, spices and olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.

2. Put roughly 2/3rds of the mixture in a food processor and grind into a paste.

3. Return the paste to the bowl and add the onion, red pepper, parsley and tomato paste. Mix thoroughly.

4. Form into small balls or ovals (as shown here) with your hands. Fry for a few minutes in a shallow pan with any light oil you have to hand, until they darken in colour and become crispy on the outside. Alternatively, bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for roughly 20-25 minutes.

5. While the meatballs are cooking, combine all the yoghurt ingredients in a small bowl.

6. Toss the meatballs in the yoghurt, and serve with a lemon wedge.

As always, if you make this recipe please do be sure to tag us on Instagram - @ancientgreeksandals with the #CookwithAGS