Recipe: Stuffed Bread – Ekmek Dolması

This is a popular Ramazan dish from the Aegean regions of Aydın and Manisa. A special round loaf is baked during Ramazan and used for this dish. Serves 4 Time: 25 minutes prep, 1 hour 20 minutes cooking Ingredients For the stuffing: For the sauce: Directions Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. To make the […]

Mantı – traditional tiny Turkish dumplings

The word mantı derives from mantu, meaning dumplings. The dumplings typically consist of a spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, in a thin dough wrapper and either boiled or steamed. Mantı is traditionally served with a garlicky yoghurt sauce and a red pepper or tomato sauce. The origin is somewhat uncertain, it is thought that the dish may have […]

Recipe: Turkish beef meatballs

Try out this Turkish spin on meatballs for a speedy one-pan dish which promises big, warming flavours and is ready in just 30 minutes Ingredients 2 tsp olive oil 12 beef meatballs (köfte) 2 banana shallots, chopped 1 crushed garlic clove ½ tbsp plain flour 2 tsp ras el hanout spice mix (see below for […]

Karides Güveç – baked prawns with vegetables and cheese

Try this delicious one-pot baked prawns with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, (Karides Güveç). You can use pre-cooked beans instead of prawns for a vegetarian option. Recipe courtesy of Ozlem’s Turkish Table Traditionally, prawns in Türkiye are cooked with plenty of vegetables in a one big earthenware pot (or in smaller individual ones), called guvec, which delivers […]

Celeriac – the knobbly root vegetable that won’t win any beauty contests

Nobbly on the outside but sensational on the inside… Celeriac, also called turnip-rooted celery, celery root, or knob celery is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible roots. Celeriac (or celery root) and celery are members of the same family of vegetables, but celeriac is not the root of the vegetable you buy called […]

Turkish desserts – indulge your sweet tooth

One of the things we love about Türkiye is the amazing food; an endless supply of mouthwatering dishes. Desserts are also an important part of Turkish cuisine, a social ritual meant to be shared. There is a vast range to satisfy everyone, even those with the sweetest tooth. Baklava Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo […]

Recipe: Turkish (Plain) Rice – Sade Pilav

In Türkiye, the reputation of a housewife and the career of a chef can stand or fall on their pilav. The essential quality is fluffiness: each grain of rice should stand alone, proud and independent, moist and glistening without being wet or oily. Rice rises to its full potential in a good pilav, coaxed lovingly […]

Recipe: Roast aubergine with goat’s cheese & toasted flatbread

Punchy flavours and plenty of crunch – you won’t even notice you’re eating a superhealthy salad! Serves 2 Ingredients 2 aubergines, thinly sliced lengthways 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 Middle Eastern flatbread or pitta 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Handful mint leaves 2 shallots, 1 finely chopped, the other thinly sliced 1 red chilli, finely chopped 50g goat’s cheese, crumbled Handful […]

Recipe: Lamb on Skewers (Şiş Kebap)

Next time you’re having a barbecue why not add Şiş Kebap to the menu? Şiş Kebap (Shish Kebab) 6 servings Ingredients 1 kg lean lamb 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion 2 teaspoons salt 3 tomatoes 3 peppers 1 tablespoon oregano Skewers Method Cut the meat into 2-3 cm cubes and set aside. Slice […]