Turkish Recipes

The dishes below are based on ideas and dishes we found on our trips in Turkey. Contact us for detailed recipes

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Simple Lamb & Eggplant Stew

1 T mild, brown Turkish pepper paste [or subst 1 T asian pepper paste]
1 t hot red pepper paste [or subst Tabasco sauce to taste]
1 eggplant, cubed and salted
1 lb lamb cubed
1 med onion diced
1/2 c red wine
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Saute eggplant in olive oil, 5-10', add lamb and saute another 5-10'. Add pepper pastes, red wine and mix briefly. Reduce heat, add 1 c water, cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2- 2 hrs.

Add parsley before serving

Lamb - Eggplant Casserole

4 eggplant slices, cut full length, 1 [salted]

4 4"x4"x1" slabs cut from lamb leg

1 lg tomato, sliced

Saute eggplant in olive oil, 5-10', layer in casserole. Place lamb slice on each , the slices of tomato,. Bake in 350 deg oven, covered, 1 hour . “Made since the time of Noah" we were told when this was first served to us.

Cacik - similar to Indian raita - yogurt, cucumber, garlic and paprika or sumak Unlike tzatziki, where the cucumber is grated, cacik is usually made with finely chopped cucumbers. This gives the dip (or soup) a more interesting bite, rather than the mushy consistency often resulting from grating cucumbers. .

Gozleme a Turkish crepe

Manti a tiny, tortellini like pasta

Lamacun One of 2 types of Turkish pizza, this is is a thin and crispy flatbread that originated in Turkey and is widely popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is made from a mixture of ground lamb or beef, mixed with spices such as paprika, cumin, garlic, and onions, which is spread thinly over a round or oval piece of dough and then baked in a very hot oven.

Pide, the other Turkish pizza, is made with a soft and chewy dough that is pulled to a long oval form and then topped with various ingredients such as cheese, meats (such as ground beef, chicken, or lamb), vegetables (such as tomatoes, onions, and peppers), or eggs. (a fried egg on pizza is very much a European touch - try it!) The toppings are placed on top of the dough and then baked in a very hot oven until the crust is crispy

Long pides with different toppings, Antalya Turkey

Arni Kleftika 'Lamb bandit style' - OK, found this Greek recipe in the woodpile, but it's so good I had to include it. Lamb pieces , onions, tomato, spices, topped with peeled, quartered potatoes and cheese. traditionally wrapped in lamb skins or clay pots & left to, simmmer on embers in a cave hideout while out doing bandit/rebel things. When I run low on lamb skin I use parchment paper or aluminum foilparchment.

Stuffed Eggplant (Bodrum ) thick slices of eggplant, scooped out; paste of meat, tomato, onion, eggplant, garlic, spices, sauteed, then placed in eggplant. Topped with feta cheese and baked 300 deg for 45 min

Turkish Eggplant & Zucchini -- Fried eggplant & zucchini, topped with chopped tomato, onion and garlic and simmered 30

Imam biyaldi whole eggplant (aubergine) stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, and simmered in olive oil. The name supposedly derives from a tale of a Turkish imam who swooned with pleasure when presented with this dish by his wife, although other more humorous accounts suggest that he fainted upon hearing the cost of the ingredients or the amount of oil used to cook the dish. A variation of this dish, karniyarik, adds ground beef to the stuffing.

Esne Antep red pepper (several kinds), onion, garlic, parsley, oil

Mantar tavuk guvec Mushroom chicken guvec This hearty dish can be made in any type of oven-proof pan, but clay or earthenware pots are preferred because they impart a heady, earthy aroma to the stew. The secret to preparing guvec is the slow cooking in the closed pot, which brings out the flavors of all the ingredients. The meat, vegetables and spices are mixed together and placed in the pot, which is then covered with a pottery lid, but today many people use a sheet of aluminum foil instead. Traditionally guvec is baked in a pit oven, but a regular, modern oven works just as well for home cooking.

Dugan Corbasi - Turkish Wedding Soup - chicken stock, mint, saffron, potato & yogurt

Fislik meze - pistachios, chilis, tomato paste, feta

Adi Nasik - cooked eggplant, either plain, or with yogurt as a base, topped with sauted lamb (spices, chile, 1 t tomato puree), garnished with tomato, fresh peppers)

Other Regional specialties

Urfa ciger (jee-ur) kebabi ( liver kebabs) – small skewered. cubes of calves’ liver / Künefe. Cheese (Urfa peyniri) pastry / Urfa biber

Trabzond - peste - fruit leather with findik [hazelnuts]

Konya Tandur Lamb (Firin)- first boil, then bake whole lamb with garlic until it falls off the bone. Serve on pita, or sourdough, with cucumbers, yogurt, etc. Similar to Moroccan meschoie, and just as delicious.

Black Sea Area Mihlama- fondue of corn meal, cheese.

Making gozleme [click to enlarge]	Making gozleme [click to enlarge]	Fish - main course [click to enlarge]	Making gozleme [click to enlarge]
Serving lunch [click to enlarge]	Lunch [click to enlarge]	Lunch [click to enlarge]	Bread [click to enlarge]

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