High Nutrition Turkish Lentil and Noodle Soup, Tutmac Corbasi

Ingredients:
• Dried flat noodles (erişte), 100 g
• Green lentils, 200 g
• Cooked chickpeas, 100 g (optional)
• Garlic, 2 cloves
• Yogurt, 200 g
• Butter, 2 tbsp
• Minced beef, 100 g (skip for the vegetarian version)
• Paprika powder, 1 tsp
• Pul biber (Turkish chili flakes), 1 tsp
• Dried mint, 1 tsp
• Salt, 2 tsp
• Water, 1.5 liters
Instructions:
1. Wash and transfer the lentils into a large pot, fill with water, season with salt
2. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until slightly softened, about 15 mins
3. Discard the dirty boiling water and fill the pot with clean water, about 1.5 liters
4. Bring the water to a boil and transfer the cooked lentils and the noodles into the boiling water
5. Season with 2 tsp salt, optionally add 100 g cooked chickpeas at this point
6. Let it simmer for 5 – 10 mins until the noodles are cooked and remove from the fire.
7. Mince the garlic and combine with 200 g yogurt in a mixing bowl
8. Stir until well combined and slowly temper by gradually adding and mixing hot water from the pot
9. Stir in the same direction to avoid curdling until the garlic yogurt is mixed in the soup
10. Let the soup simmer on a very low fire for 5 mins.
11. For the sauce, in a small pan, melt 2 tbsp butter.
12. Add the minced meat (optional), stir and fry until well cooked.
13. Add 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried mint and optionally 1 tsp pul biber for a bit of heat.
14. Stir for few seconds until fragrant and remove from the fire.
15. Pour half of the spicy butter sauce into the pan and stir to combine.
16. Use the rest of the butter sauce to garnish to serve.
17. Serve in a bowl and garnish the bowl with extra butter sauce to taste.