LENTIL PATTIES, aka. MERCİMEK KÖFTESİ , a real feast for the eyes, the taste buds and the soul.

Impress everyone with this amazingly tasty recipe and claim your mastery in the kitchen.
LENTIL PATTIES
INGREDIENTS
• Red Lentil 200 gr.
• Bulgur (boiled and pounded wheat) 50 gr.
• Onion 1
• Tomato 1
• Spring onions 3-4
• Fresh mint leaves 10-15
• Parsley 10 stalks
• Lemon (for decoration) 1
• Olive oil 1/2 water glass (circa 100 ml.)
• Red pepper paste ( or tomato paste) 1 tablespoon
• Pomegranate syrup (optional ) 1 dessert spoon
• Lettuce As much as you like
• Water 5 water glasses or 1 liter.
Spices
• Red pepper 1 tea spoon
• Black pepper 1 tea spoon
• Cumin 1 tea spoon
• Coriander 1 tea spoon
• Salt 3 tea spoons
HOW TO MAKE IT
Put ¼ water glass (circa 50 ml.) of olive oil in the pot (we will use the other half of the olive oil at a later stage) and let it heat. Put finely chopped onions in the pot and let them cook for a few minutes. Then, add the pre-washed red lentils and stir regularly. After 3-4 minutes, put 1 liter of cold water. Close the lid of the pot, set your stove to medium heat, and let it cook for 20 minutes. (Check and stir regularly to make sure that it does not spill!)
In the meantime, you can chop the spring onions, mint leaves and parsley finely. Peel the tomato and take the seeds out, then chop finely as well.
After 20 minutes, add the pre-washed bulgur in the pot and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir regularly. When the mixture in the pot looks all cooked and the water is absorbed, then turn off the stove and transfer everything into another pot or container. Add the spices (salt, black pepper, red pepper, coriander, cumin). Disperse the finely chopped parsley, spring onions and fresh mint leaves (you can use dried parsley and mint if you do not have the fresh ones available but the fresh ones taste better). Pour in the rest of the olive oil (1/4 water glass) and the pomegranate syrup (if you have). Then mix everything well to make sure that all the ingredients are equally blended.
Before shaping the lentil patties, let the mixture cool down for a while. By using two tablespoons, shape the lentil patties and put them on a serving plate (if you have lettuce, put the lentil patties in lettuce for impressive presentation). Decorate your lentil patties with thin lemon slices.
Your “Lentil Patties” are ready to impress everyone with a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. With this recipe, you can prepare 35-40 lentil patties. It will easily become one of the indispensable specialties of your parties, gatherings, picnics and many special occasions.
ENJOY!!!!