You’ve made the move to Turkey, you’ve eaten out at the cafes and restaurants, so you know there is more to Turkish cuisine than kebabs. But are you feeling a bit clueless as to where to start to incorporate some more Turkish food into your own kitchen? Well, I certainly was which prompted a search for recipes that I could easily incorporate into my life. Here is a selection of ones I’ve tried and liked...so they are here to stay!
Turkish people love their soups and if you ever get invited into someone’s home, be prepared for a starter of soup followed by copious amounts of food, then dessert. It can be a bit overwhelming but the trick is to eat a little of everything so you don’t cause offense.
1 cup green lentils
1/2 cup noodles (cut pasta)
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon of pepper paste
2 tablespoons flour
5 cups of hot chicken broth
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Serve with:
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon of mint
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 medium sized eggplants
3 large onions
4 cloves of garlic
3 medium green peppers
3 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon tomato paste
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 bunch of parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 cup of hot water
To fry the eggplants:
2 cups of olive oil
1- Chop the large onions finely. Cut mince the garlic.
2- Cut the green peppers you down the middle and cut the seeds into half-moon shape. Chop the peeled tomatoes into cubes. Finely chop the parsley.
3- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the onion and garlic,
4- Add green peppers and continue cooking. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and fry until watery. Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and granulated sugar.
5- Finally, add some hot water and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped parsley to the mixture, which absorbs and thickens, and after stirring, leave it on one side to be warmed.
6- After washing and drying in plenty of water, cut the eggplants you peeled, scratch the middle parts of all eggplants with a sharp knife.
7- After you heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan, fry the eggplants until they get colour.
8- Open the middle portions of fried eggplants, spaced out on a baking sheet. Topping with onions and tomatoes, fill them with the mixture.
9- Add a small amount of hot water with tomato paste and bake the eggplants in a preheated 180-degree oven for 20 minutes.
10- This dish can be eaten hot or cold as either a snack or as part of a main dinner.
If you want to be a bit more calories conscious, bake the eggplants instead of frying them. You can also add mincemeat to the frying process if you prefer a version with meat in it.