Recipe: Turkish Lentil balls

From the Istanbul Cultural Center

Lentilball (Mercimek Koftesi)
Ingredients;
.1 cup of red lentil

.1-1/2 cup of fine cracked wheat
.2 cups of water
.1 medium size onion (blender)
.1/2 bunch parsley (finely chopped)
.3-4 green onion ( finely chopped)
.2 tbsp tomato paste
.1 tbsp pepper paste
.1/4 cup of oil ( vegetable)
.1/4 tsp lemon juice
.1 tbsp cumin
.1/4 tsp black pepper
.1/4 tsp red pepper
.1/2 tsp salt

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Directions;
1-Rinse and boil the lentil over medium heat with 2 cups of water in a large pot. After, lentil gets soft (it is going to be mushy), turn off the heat, add the cracked wheat and stir ( there should not be any water).
2- Cover the lid and wait for 10 minutes to allow wheat to absorb the water.
3-Then add tomato paste, pepper paste, onion,lemon juice,oil, and all the spices. Knead them like a dough.Then add parsley and scallion. Knead couple minutes.
5- Divide the lentil dough into walnut size and give a football shape. If the mixture sticks, wet your hands occasionally. Place the lentil balls on the lettuce leaves and serve cold.
6- You can squeeze a lemon juice on the lentil balls.