Mercimek Köftesi with Lettuce

Ingredients

Quantities are for one portion.

• 0.5lemon
• 50 gfine bulgur wheat (dry)
• 15 mlolive oil
• 15 gred pepper paste
• 15 gtomato paste
• 150 giceberg lettuce, leaves separated
• 100 gred lentils (dry)
• 10 gfresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Rinse the red lentils, place them in a pot with water, and boil until very soft and mushy.
2. Turn off the heat, stir the dry bulgur wheat directly into the hot lentils, cover the pot tightly, and let it sit for fifteen minutes to absorb all moisture.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small pan and gently fry the tomato paste and red pepper paste for a minute to release their flavors, then add to the lentil mixture.
4. Once the lentil and bulgur mixture is cool enough to handle, knead it thoroughly with your hands until it forms a smooth, moldable dough.
5. Mix the chopped parsley into the dough, then squeeze small handfuls into thick, finger-like shapes.
6. Arrange the köfte on a platter and serve with the crisp iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping and lemon wedges for squeezing.