Mercimek Dondurması Recipe
Mercimek dondurması, which means lentil ice cream, is one of the fantastic dishes/appetizers from Antalya cuisine. Although I am not sure where the name comes from, I have a guess. I think it gets its name because it solidifies, or "freezes," after it cools down. You can serve mercimek dondurması hot, warm, or cold. It is delicious in all forms, but my personal preference is warm. I also love to eat olive oil-based dishes warm. For me, mercimek dondurması falls into the category of olive oil-based dishes, and that's why I prefer it warm.
In summary, mercimek dondurması is made by spreading caramelized onions over boiled red lentils and rice. In terms of ingredients, it somewhat resembles lentil kofte recipe.
You can use mercimek dondurması as a main dish, an appetizer, or a side dish. For example, it pairs wonderfully with meatballs as a side dish. If you like, you can even serve the meatballs directly on top of the mercimek dondurması, mixed with caramelized onions, similar to the beef kofte with hummus. If you want it to be vegan, you can use artichokes instead of meatballs. Artichokes would also be a great addition to this combination.
Since the dish can be served cold, you can prepare it a day in advance if you wish. However, to avoid the onions giving off an odor in the fridge, it's better to do the onion caramelizing step on the day you plan to serve it.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 1 cup of red lentils,
- 1/2 cup of rice,
- 2 large onions,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika,
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin,
- 7-8 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Salt to taste,
- 3 cups of water at room temperature .
Preparation
- Place the washed and drained lentils and water in a saucepan and cook until the lentils are soft,
- While the lentils are cooking, slice the onions into half-moons and the garlic into rounds,
- Take them into a pan with the olive oil and sauté,
- Add the rice to the cooked lentils, stir, and cook until the rice is soft,
- Add the paprika and cumin to the caramelized onions and stir,
- Add one-third of the onions to the lentil and rice mixture, stir, add salt to taste, and remove from heat,
- Spread the mixture on a large serving plate,
- Spread the remaining onions on top,
- If desired, sprinkle chopped parsley on top when serving.
Enjoy your meal!