Purim has been summed up in this way: They tried to kill us, we won, so let’s eat!

Of course, the actual story is a bit more complex than that, but the simple fact is that for Jews who love to cook and eat, this holiday is a favorite.

In a little bigger nutshell, the tale behind Purim — which is celebrated Thursday — involves a Persian king, his prime minister, Haman (the bad guy) who had it out for the Jews, and a community leader named Mordecai.

Basically, Mordecai and his stepdaughter Esther, who became the queen (of the good guys), save their people.

The fun that goes along with the celebration of Purim can’t be overstated.

Events and traditions include the reading of the Purim story along with audience participatory noisemaking to drown out the name of the bad guy each of the 54 times it is mentioned.

Then there’s the food. The Book of Esther tells celebrants they should practice charity and goodwill (which in the story helped save the Jews from peril), by helping those who are less fortunate, and by the making and giving of food gifts called mishloach manot. Then, of course, there needs to be a feast to celebrate the victory.

There’s even a proscription for adults to drink wine until they can’t tell the difference between the names of the bad guys and good guy. So much for dull holidays.

Moshe Morrison, director of Kosher Foods for New York grocery chain Fairway Markets, says that some of the more popular items for Purim gift baskets include the sesame candy, halvah, Elite brand chocolates (a favorite from Israel), and of course, hamantashen, a filled cookie that is triangular in shape to represent (depending on your interpretation) either Haman’s (the bad guy) ears or his tricornered hat.

If you like, these cookies, such as our orange-poppy seed hamantashen, are fun and easy to make at home.

For the big meal, known as the Feast of Esther, many foods are included, but often vegetarian dishes made with nuts, grains, seeds and legumes are eaten to pay tribute to the fact that Queen Esther avoided eating meat; the animals were not slaughtered according to kosher tradition at the palace.

These vegetarian Turkish red lentil balls are a delicious, healthy and easy way to include a taste of Persian cuisine in your own Purim feast.

Turkish Red Lentil BallsIf you can’t find harissa, substitute any of the chili-garlic pastes you find in the grocer’s international aisle.

1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained½ cup fine bulgur, uncooked2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 large yellow onion, finely chopped1 tablespoon harissa (red chili) paste1 tablespoon ground cumin3 scallions, finely sliced3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley3/4 teaspoon saltGround black pepper, to taste Boston or butter lettuce, torn into thirty 2-by-2-inch piecesLemon wedgesIn a medium saucepan, bring 2 ½ cups of water to a boil.Add the lentils and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes.Mix in the bulgur, cover the pot and remove from the heat.Let the mixture rest until the residual liquid is absorbed by the bulgur, about 15 minutes.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil.Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.Stir in the harissa and cumin, then cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more.Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.Once the lentils and bulgur are cooked (the mixture should be moderately moist like dough), add to the reserved onion mixture along with most of the scallions and parsley (reserving just enough for garnish).Season with salt and pepper, then mix well.The lentil mixture should resemble thick dough. If it still seems too damp, add more bulgur and let the mixture rest until the bulgur is no longer hard, about another 15 minutes.Keeping your hands wet, mold about 1 heaping tablespoon of the lentil mixture into football-shaped balls.Place each ball in one of the lettuce pieces and arrange on a serving platter.Garnish with the remaining scallions and parsley and drizzle with additional olive oil.Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Orange-Poppy Seed Hamantashen Cookies1 cup powdered sugar2¼ cups all-purpose flour1/8 teaspoon salt2 egg yolks2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, softenedGrated zest of 1 large orangeHalf of a 12 ½ ounce can poppy seed cake and pastry filling1 large egg, beatenIn a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks, butter and orange zest.Pulse until a dough forms.Remove the dough from the processor and wrap in plastic wrap.Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day.Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to ¼ inch thickness.Using a cookie cutter or clean drinking glass, cut the dough into 2 Z\x inch circles.With the tip of your finger, moisten the rim of each circle with water.Place 1 teaspoon of poppy seed filling at the center of each circle.Form triangular cookies by folding the sides up over the filling, leaving the center uncovered.Pinch together the three corners. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.Brush the outsides of the cookies with the beaten egg.Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 15 minutes.Cool on a rack.