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 […]

Recipe: Yoghurt with Cucumber (Cacık)

A great dish for hot summer days… Cacık (‘JAH’- juck) is a refreshing dish that can be served with grilled meats or as a meze. It makes a perfect accompaniment to spicy dishes and BBQs. It can also be made with thicker yoghurt (Suzme or Greek) and used as a dip. Yoghurt with Cucumber (Cacık) Serves […]

Turkey’s colourful food – with colourful names

Turks love food. They write love songs, ballads and poems about it. Turkish cuisine produces a great variety of mouthwatering dishes, mostly of Ottoman heritage. In fact, Turkish food is some of the tastiest in the Mediterranean.  Turks have fun with food too! Some of the names of the dishes are just as colourful and […]