Yellow Squash Borani With Mint Lentil Meatballs

Are you ever in a recipe slump or always cooking the same meals? My go-to dinner is usually a simple pasta. It’s a quick dinner that can be pulled together in 10 minutes. With Happy Belly After, I love creating new recipes every week with a different ingredient. Much of my inspiration comes from traveling.

Months have passed, and I still dream of our trip to Iran and the many friends that we made. Sharing food is one of the many pleasures of travel. Simple or grand, the experiences are the same. Differences between cultures blur and our commonalities remain.

Yellow squash is best in late summer but is available year-round Don’t let that stop you from enjoying this delicious borani. This recipe is a wonderful combination of roasted yellow squash, cool coconut yogurt and minted lentil meatballs. Serve the borani with flatbread or pita chips.

Yellow Squash Borani With Mint Lentil Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400˚

Make the borani – Roast the yellow squash until tender, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Add the cooked squash, both yogurts, garlic, lemon juice, mint, parsley, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is a chunky purée but not completely smooth.

Make the flax egg – In a small cup, mix the ground flax and water.  

Make the lentil meatballs – In a medium saucepan, bring the rinsed lentils and broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Drain the lentils and let cool to room temperature.

In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the shallot garlic mixture is lightly golden brown, a few more minutes. 

In a food processor – add the cooked lentils, sautéed shallot/garlic mixture, flax egg, mint, oat flour, Urfa biber chilies, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Pulse until well combined but not smooth. Using a tablespoon, form round balls. Place the lentil meatballs on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake the lentil meatballs until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

To serve – Spread the borani in a thin layer onto a medium serving platter. Top the borani with the lentil meatballs. Garnish with a dusting of Urfa biber chiles and some extra chopped mint or parsley. Serve immediately.

serves 4

BORANI

  • 2 medium yellow squash, seeds removed
  • ½ cup Kite Hill plain almond yogurt
  • ½ cup Coyo plain coconut yogurt
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint
  • ½ tsp salt

FLAX EGG

  • 5 tsp ground golden flax seeds
  • 3 tbsp water 

LENTIL MEATBALLS

  • ⅔ cup brown lentils, rinsed
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 5 tbsp oat flour
  • 1 tsp crushed Urfa biber chiles
  • ½ tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil, for drizzling