Step 1. Prepare the red lentils and bulgur

• Wash the red lentils under cold running water and rinse until the water runs clear.

• Bring the lentils to the boil in a large pan over medium heat with 650 milliliters of water. Every now and then, skim off the foam that floats to the top.

• As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to low and cook the lentils with the lid on the pan, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

• Then stir in the bulgur and let it steam for 30 minutes with the lid on the pan. In the meantime, go to the next step.

Step 2. Make the köfte mixture

• Finely chop the onion and heat the olive or sunflower oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the onion in it for 8 to 10 minutes.

• Add the tomato puree and pepper paste and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. In the meantime, finely chop the spring onion and flat-leaf parsley (only the leaves).

• Once the onion mixture has cooled, mix it with the cumin powder, pul biber and salt into the lentils and bulgur and knead thoroughly for 2 minutes.

• Add the parsley and spring onions and knead for another 1 minute.

Step 3. Serve the Mercimek Köftesi

• Line a serving bowl with the little gem lettuce.

• Knead pieces of dough from the köfte mixture into elongated, torpedo-shaped balls. Place them on the bed of lettuce.

• Cut the lemon into wedges and divide them over the Mercimek Köftesi.