Turkish Lentil & Potato Salad

This seems to be a reasonably popular dish, judging by the number of recipes for it that I found. I am, however, at a bit of a loss as to what to call it. I guess salad is as close as it gets. It's not a dip - too thick - but the texture is smoother than most North American dishes known as salads. Also it just gets eaten, not put on anything. It's served at room temperature which makes me reluctant to call it a casserole. It's more like a soft, smooth-textured potato salad than anything, so salad it is even though you should be able to cut it in wedges like a pie.

I cooked the lentils and potatoes in advance, the day before. I don't think that's really the way to do it. I think the lentil and potato mixture should still be fairly warm when it gets pressed into the dish if you want to be able to cut it into neat pieces to serve, as it really didn't "set" when mixed then formed while cold. Hence the photo with the topping on only half the dish - I could see there was no way I would be able to cut and serve it neatly, although it turned out not to be as bad as I expected. 

4 to 6 servings
1 hour 15 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Advance Preparation:
4 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) potatoes
1 cup red lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 cups plain yogurt

Wash, peel or trim, and dice the potatoes. Put them in a rice-cooker with the lentils, salt, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water. Turn on and cook.

Line a strainer with 2 or 3 coffee filters and spoon in the yogurt. Put it over a bowl and strain it while the potatoes and lentils cook. When the lentils and potatoes are done, set them aside to cool enough to handle while you continue.

Make the Salad:
1 medium onion
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons pepper paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika

Peel and dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and let it cook for several minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the tomato and pepper pastes. Add the salt, ground cumin seed, and paprika. Finally, add the garlic and cook for just a minute or so longer. Remove it from the heat and add it to the lentils and potatoes. Mix well.

Lightly oil a 10" pie plate and press the mixture into it.

Make the First Topping:
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill, chives, parsley, OR cilantro, OPTIONAL
1 small carrot, grated, OPTIONAL
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peel and mince the garlic. Clean and mince the an herb, if you wish to add one, and peel and grate the carrot. Mix all these, with the salt, into the strained yogurt.

Make the Second Topping & Finish the Salad:

1 teaspoon rubbed dry mint
1 teaspoon pepper paste OR sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons olive oil

Measure the seasonings into a small bowl and mix them; stir in the olive oil.

Spread the first topping evenly over the prepared lentils and potatoes. Drizzle the second topping over the top of that. Serve the salad at room temperature - if it is necessary to refrigerate it before it is served, bring it out to warm up for about 20 minutes first. 





Last year at this time I made Moroccan-Spiced Cauliflower.

Posted in: Ontario Food