Mild Kisir Bulgur Balls | Served in Lettuce Leaves

Bring the water in a pot to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Whisk the tomato paste and sweet pepper paste into the hot water until dissolved. Dissolving the pastes in water instead of spreading them directly on the bulgur helps color the mixture evenly.

Put the fine bulgur in a large bowl, pour the hot water with the pastes over it, stir once, and cover. The water should rise 1 cm above the bulgur; too little leaves the center hard, while too much makes a mush that will not hold its shape.

While the bulgur swells, finely chop the parsley and green onions, and cut the cucumber into 4 mm dice. Place the cucumber on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves individually; wet leaves will not hold the balls.

Once the swollen bulgur has cooled to hand temperature, add the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, dried mint, and salt. Knead by pressing and rubbing with your palms for 2 minutes; this helps the grains absorb the oil and is what holds the mixture together. Then add the parsley, green onions, and cucumber, and stir just to combine.

Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and squeeze it in your palm, then release to form an elongated walnut-sized ball with your fingerprints visible. If it falls apart when you release it, the mixture is dry; add 1 spoonful of lemon juice. Makes about 24 balls. For a child younger than four years old, flatten each ball in your palm to 1 cm thick before serving.

Place two balls inside each lettuce leaf and arrange them on a plate. The lettuce acts like a little plate for the child to hold; if they do not want the leaf, they can set it aside and pick up the ball by hand.