Mercimek kofte

Mercimek kofte is a hugely popular Turkish appetizer or side dish. Known to Diyarbakir locals as belluh.
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup red lentil
1/2 cup fine bulgur
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups of water
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tbsp red pepper paste (if you cannot find red pepper paste you can use 2 tbsp tomato paste)
~1 tsp salt
juice of half or 1 lemon (depends on how you like it: sour or not so sour)
1/3 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green onion, finely chopped curly leaf lettuce
Method: Wash lentils and boil them on medium heat in 2 cups of water until the water is almost gone. Once you turn it off, add bulgur and salt. Mix once and cover to let the bulgur expand. Let it cool off.-Heat oil in a pan and add the onion (not the green one!) and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add cumin and stir once you turn it off. Add this to the lentils which should be cool by now. Add lemon juice and half of finely chopped parsley and green onion (we’re saving the rest of parsley and green onions to garnish) to the lentils. Mix all well. Take walnut size pieces and give them kofte shape in your hands. Keep a little bowl of water close by to wet your hand frequently during this process since the kofte mixture will get stuck on your hands. You can either place lettuce leaves on a serving plate and put koftes on top as in the picture, or serve koftes and lettuce leaves separately, or skip lettuce leaves completely; however, they reallly go well together.