My Aunt's Red Lentil Balls

My mom and aunt are in town visiting, and we have been eating ourselves into oblivion. We had pizza at Kesté, burgers at Bill's, a fancy dinner at Buddakan, morning croissants at Lalo's, brunch at Good Enough to Eat, and gelato at Cones (just to name a few). I believe that a city is best experienced through its cuisine, so I've been taking them around town and sharing my favorite dishes. It feels so good to have girl time, to sit at a cafe and share a slice of red velvet pie or stroll through the streets with a coffee and doughnut in hand.

Food has been always an important part of my family. Whenever we have family gatherings, the women pack in the kitchen and cook an enormous meal for everyone. Those are my favorite nights, sitting on the kitchen table watching everyone run around trying to finish a dish. There are recipes that have filtered down from generations, and we still keep loyal to them. There are also dishes that if a family member has perfected it, the others don't even dare to make it. It's their dish.

So after a week of sampling NY food, I realized I have missed those days when we just cook around the kitchen. Even though I have very little counter space, I wanted to make something with my mom and aunt. I remembered my aunt used to make these Red Lentil Balls that don't require a ton of work. After a week of eating fried and heavy food, it felt really good to have something light and healthy. Plus they keep in the fridge for a while and are just as good cold. They are filled with healthy protein and fibers from red lentils and bulgur. They are vegetarian and are great make-ahead appetizers for a party, too.

My aunt may be leaving today, but her Red Lentil Balls will stay with me.

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils
1 cup fine bulgur
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan, and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the lentils are very soft and there is very little water left in the saucepan. Make sure the lentils do not absorb all of the water, or the mixture will be very dry. Add the bulgur, stir, and turn of the heat. Keep it covered for 30 minutes, until the bulgur plumps up and the mixture has cooled down.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, and sautee the onions until translucent. Add the tomato and pepper pastes, and cook for an additional minute. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add to the lentil mixture in the saucepan, and stir to combine. Add the chopped scallions, parsley, and lemon juice. Knead the mixture for a few minutes until everything sticks together, and forms a big ball. Form the mixture into walnut sized balls. You can wet your hands if the mixture gets sticky.