This is a print preview of "Armenian Red Lentil Balls - Vospov Kheyma" recipe.

Armenian Red Lentil Balls - Vospov Kheyma Recipe
by John Spottiswood

Armenian Red Lentil Balls - Vospov Kheyma

Traditionally, Kheyma is a made with meat (raw beef patty). However, during Lent many Armenians prefer Vospov Kheyma as a vegetarian alternative. Our friends the Bedrosians brought these over as an appetizer last night. He said it was a bit spicier than his mother usually made, but we all thought they were perfect. If you want less of a kick, dial back the cayenne. If you've never tried these before - and if you aren't Armenian or Turkish you probably haven't - you're in for a real treat. As Brian would say, "They are fantastic!"

Rating: 5/5
Avg. 5/5 3 votes
Prep time: Armenia Armenian
Cook time: Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red or yellow lentils (our family always used red)
  • 2 large yellow onions finely chopped
  • 1 bunch parsley – chopped (I used about ½ a bunch)
  • 4 – green onions – chopped
  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ cup veg. oil
  • 2 ½ cups water (or chicken broth)
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 Cup bulghour (fine or medium – I used #4)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cook lentils in water(broth) for 1-1.5 hours our until very soft (no salt, uncovered)
  2. Sauté onions on oil and butter until transluscent
  3. Drain excess water from lentils, if any. In a large bowl, mix lentils, onions, bulghour and spices gently with a spoon. Cover and let stand 15 mins. (if mixture is soft, you can add more bulghour and the additional water here)
  4. If desired, you can add half the green onions and parsley to the mix before shaping or serving
  5. Use approx. ¼ cup of mix to form small balls or rolls about 1 inch thick. As you can see from the picture, I rolled them into longer rolls and then cut them into about 2 inch lengths.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining green onion and parsley on top for a garnish.