Meat and Lentil Balls

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 Garlic clove
• 270 ml classic vegetable broth
• 150 g red lentils
• 300 g small red bell peppers (2 small red bell peppers)
• 300 g small yellow bell peppers (2 small yellow bell peppers)
• 300 g small green bell peppers (2 small green bell peppers)
• 250 g Zucchini (1 Zucchini)
• 150 g mixed minced meat
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• paprika powder (hot)
• 2 tbsp ajvar
• 0.5 bunch Chives
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the onion, halve it, and chop it into small cubes. Peel and chop the garlic.

2. 2.

   Bring 200 ml of vegetable broth to a boil in a pot. Add lentils, onion, and garlic, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Then continue simmering without the lid until the broth has evaporated, and let everything cool down.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, halve, deseed, wash, and slice the bell peppers into long strips. Wash, peel, and slice the zucchini into strips about 5 cm long.

4. 4.

   Knead the minced meat, egg, and cooled lentils into a meatloaf with the kneading hooks of a hand mixer. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika powder.

5. 5.

   Shape 12 equally sized balls with moist hands. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a wide pot and cook the balls in slightly simmering water on very low heat for about 10 minutes.

6. 6.

   Bring the remaining vegetable broth to a boil in a large, deep pan. Add the pepper strips and simmer covered for about 8 minutes.

7. 7.

   Add the zucchini strips and ajvar and simmer for another 5 minutes covered.

8. 8.

   Meanwhile, rinse, shake dry, and finely chop the chives.

9. 9.

   Stir the tomato paste into the pepper vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika powder. Mix in the chopped chives and place on a platter.

10. 10.

    Remove the meat and lentil balls from the pot with a slotted spoon and let them drain slightly. Arrange them on the pepper vegetables and serve.