Puy Lentil & Chestnut Koftas with Yoghurt Sauce

serves

Serves 4

time

30 mins

level

Beginner

My wonderful friend Caroline Moore taught me about Koftas, this is the first time I’ve cooked and written a recipe for them and I’m delighted with the results. You can mould the mixture around skewers, but I like these little egg shaped cakes that can go into or onto a wrap, through a salad, become vehicles for dip or you can braise them in tomato sauce.

Recipe by Alex Mackay

Ingredients

100g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
1 x 250g pouch of Merchant Gourmet Simply Cooked Puy Lentils
3 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus 1-2 tbsp for brushing
4 tbsp almond or oat milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Chermoula spices
25g finely sliced parsley
2 tbsp sliced mint leaves
2 tbsp sliced chives
3 tbsp wholemeal breadcrumbs or polenta (you may need a little more)

QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES AND CHESTNUTS

1 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tsp sugar
1 small carrot, cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 small courgette, cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
80g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts (the remainder of the pouch), thinly sliced
1 tbsp chives

YOGHURT SAUCE

200g vegan yoghurt alternative
Lemon zest and juice
2 tbsp chives (or whatever is left from the bunch)
4 wraps of your choice to serve

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C.
Blend the chestnuts to a coarse powder in your food processor. Add the Puy Lentils, ground flax seeds, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, tbsp almond or oat milk, cinnamon and Chermoula spices. Pulse enough to break up the lentils, but not quite enough to reduce them to a puree.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, (if you do this next part in the food processor, the mixture becomes gluey). Add the parsley, mint, chives, egg and bread-crumbs, you should now have a mix that is easy to shape with your hands, if it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs, little by little, if too dry, add a little more almond milk. Season to taste with salt and more of the spices if you like it hotter.
Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper. Divide the mixture into 12. Use your hands to mould each portion into little flat egg shapes, putting each one onto the lined baking tray non-stick paper as you do. Brush the top of each kofta with olive oil. When you are ready, bake for 10 minutes in your pre-heated oven.
To make the pickled vegetables, get a medium sized bowl. Add the salt, vinegar and sugar. Mix well. Add the vegetables, chestnuts and chives. Toss gently.
Mix the vegan yoghurt with the lemon zest, lemon juice and chives, season to taste with salt.
Warm the wraps and serve the koftas hot or warm with the vegan yoghurt and quick pickled vegetables.