Kısır (cracked wheat salad)

3 cups small cracked bulgur wheat, rinsed
6 cups water
1 onion, grated
Chopped tomatoes, to taste
6 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chopped mint (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped firm lettuce (such as romaine)
3 green onions, chopped

1 small green chile, chopped
Cumin, to taste
¾ cup olive oil
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Lemon, to taste
Salt, to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Add bulgur, stir once, cover tightly, and turn off the burner. Let sit until bulgur has absorbed water, at least ten minutes.

Put grated onion, tomato paste, chopped fresh parsley, chopped green onions, chopped green chile, cumin (start with about a half teaspoon), and a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper into a large mixing bowl. Stir a few times to mix.

Uncover the bulgur and fluff it up. Put hot bulgur into bowl and mix together with other ingredients. Add olive oil and salt (start with a teaspoon) and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed or knead with your hands to mix ingredients well. Taste for seasoning. Add oil if dry, tomato paste and/or cumin if bland. Add salt, to taste. When it tastes good, add tomatoes, mint, and lettuce, and stir. Serve on a bed of lettuce with fresh lemon squeezed on top.