Turkish Bulgur Meatballs (Yalanci Cig Kofte)

During a trip to the Turkish coast, my friends and I gobbled down vegetarian bulgur ""meatballs,"" called yalanci cig kofte. ""Yalanci"" means liar because the bulgur and potatoes are used instead of raw meat, as in the original recipe.

2 small potatoes, boiled or steamed, with skins
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
6 sun-dried tomatoes, NOT packed in oil
1 tablespoon paprika, sweet or hot
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes or cayenne powder, or to taste

2 cups fine dry bulgur, rinsed

Place the potatoes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times, until they are chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the bulgur, and pulse several times to combine. Process until the mixture is mostly smooth. Add the bulgur and pulse just until combined.
Place the mixture in a bowl and knead for a couple of minutes to further mix the ingredients.
Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld, or serve immediately.
When you serve, pinch off about one tablespoon of the mixture and shape into an oblong meatball. Give it a slight squeeze between your fingers to give it the traditional shape.
Makes 6 half-cup servings, with 4 meatballs per serving.

Serve with arugula or lettuce to wrap, and a side of Greek yogurt or feta to temper the heat.

If you prefer, you can:
* Shape into round balls (one tablespoon each) and saute in a bit of olive oil until browned on all sides. Serve in a pita with yogurt, lettuce, and tomatoes.
* Form into patties (half cup each) and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
* Divide the mixture in two. Place half in the bottom of a greased loaf pan, and make a slight indentation down the center. Add a half-cup of shredded Cheddar or crumbled feta into the indentation. Cover with the remaining bulgur mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SP_STEPF.