Bulgur Pilav ( For Tuğba )

Bulgur Pılav

**fun fact **
In Turkısh pirinç pronounce pea-rinch is uncooked rice
Pilav pea-love is the word for when it is cooked


Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
1 tsp Turkish chilli paste (biber salçasi)
3 tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper
2 cups coarse bulgur, rinsed
1 litre chicken stock


Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, chilli paste and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the onion and tomato are starting to soften.

Stir in the burghul, add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the stock has been absorbed.



Turkish Delights notes::


Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.

 Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml.
 All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
 All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Turkish Asparagus with Olive oil

Turkish Asparagus with Olive oil


1 bunch asparagus (1 lb)
2 medium carrots, julienne cut
1 onion, julienne cut
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
5-6 mushrooms, sliced/quartered
2-3 tomatoes, crushed
1 tsp salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp fresh black pepper
4-5 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup hot water
Dill for garnish


Chop the onions and garlic. Cover the bottom of the pot with them. Place a layer of asparagus cut into ~1 inch length. Then, cover them with julienne cut carrots and sliced mushrooms. Finally, spread crushed tomatoes all over. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Drizzle with olive oil and add hot water. Add some fresh black pepper. Close the lid and cook over low heat until the carrots are cooked (for about 30-35).
Serve either hot or cold with fresh dill on top if desired.
ENJOY

Zucchini Dolma

even though the Greeks call wrapped vine leave Dolma or Dolmades , the word Dolma in Turkish means to stuff 
anything that is wrapped like vine leaves are called Sarma ( to wrap)


about 1kg of medium nice and firm zucchini 
1½ cups rice
1 medium onion, chopped finely
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp dried mint
1 tsp salt to taste
½ tsp black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 tomatoes, sliced (for covering tops)
Hot water


Wash the rice and drain. Chop the onions finely and mix all the ingredients but not the hot water or zucchinis. Then, wash the zucchinis and make scratches or parallel marks with fork or you may peel them in stripes. Cut the stems. If the zucchinis are long enough cut them in half lengthwise. Then, scrape inside of each piece of zucchini using a small spoon, making them hollow. You may sprinkle with salt inside.
stuff each hollow zucchini with the rice stuffing, leaving about ¼ inch part on top. Cover each stuffed zucchini either with a slice of tomato or stems of the zucchinis. Place them in a pot leaving no room in between. Add hot water about 1 inch to cover the zucchinis and cook over medium-low heat about 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. transfer them to a serving plate and serve with either plain or garlic yogurt. You may garnish with dill.
ENJOY

Raw Kofte

Çiğ Köfte ( pronounced Chee Kerf-teh) meaning raw kofte
3-4 big onions
¼ cup lemon juice
450-500gr lean ground beef ( must be fresh !!!)
2 tomatoes
5-6 cloves garlic
¼ cup canola oil
1kg fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
2-3 Tbsp salt
5-6 Tbsp isot (Turkish crushed hot pepper, Aleppo pepper is the same thing )
1-2 Tbsp cumin
750 gr red hot pepper paste/ tomato and pepper paste mix


Process the onions in food processor. Then, mix it along with bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Rub the mixture in between your palms, to give bulgur a full onion flavor (about 10 minutes). Add pepper paste/ pepper and tomato mix paste, salt, isot and cumin. Keep rubbing all the ingredients in between your palms pressing hard. Then, add the ground beef and push and squeeze the mixture on the bottom of the bowl strongly( akin to kneading bread ). Dip your hands in cold/ ice water occasionally to ease the process. Keep kneading for about 30 minutes and make sure the bulgur softens enough.
Meanwhile, crush tomato and garlic in the food processor, and then add into the bulgur mixture. Add lemon juice and canola oil as well. Knead for a couple of minutes and grab walnut size pieces or bigger if desired. Place them right inside your palm and squeeze gently to give the right shape as seen in the picture.> Attachment 263001
Serve with lemon wedges squeeze wrap in cold Cos lettuce leaves.
This recipe yields to 120-130 pieces of cig kofte.
Serving size: 6-8 pieces
ENJOY

Kaymak ( Turkish Clotted Burnt Cream)

**** note *** Lor is Turkish ricotta , you cant buy Lor in supermarkets it is always made at home 
so ricotta is a perfect substitute 


1 pkg 475 gr Ricotta Cheese, unsalted
1/3 cup flour, all purpose


Syrup:
1 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice


Mix the cheese with flour in a bowl using tablespoon. Make chestnut sized balls with your hands. Put parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange them on it.


Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C) and bake for about 50-55 minutes until the colour of the top turns golden.


To prepare the syrup place the water and sugar in a medium sized pot. First bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then simmer for 15 minutes and turn the heat off. Add the lemon juice, stir.


Immediately pour the warm syrup all over them. Let cool down first. Serve Ricotta Dessert with Thick Turkish Cream (Kaymak) on the top. If you like you may also use fresh&thick Double Cream 40% instead of #Kaymak










# Kaymak 


500 ml (2 cups) homogenized milk
500 ml (2 cups) whipping cream 35%


8x8x2 (2L) Pyrex dish


Bring the milk and cream to boil at least for about 10 minutes, stir occasionally in a large pot. Pour it into the Pyrex dish.


Meanwhile pour water in a large shallow cooking pan and bring to boil. Then turn the heat down to simmer. Put the Pyrex dish on the rim of the pan . The Pyrex dish's bottom shouldn't touch the surface of the water. Simmer like this for exactly 8 hours, then turn the heat off.


Let the Pyrex cool down on the counter. Keep it in the fridge for 24 hours. Kaymak forms on top in the Pyrex dish, with some remaining milk present at the bottom. So lift one corner of the Kaymak, and pour out the milk* into a bowl. Now Kaymak is left in the Pyrex. Cut it in 3 or 4 pieces, then roll them up.


Put one piece of Kaymak on a service plate, pour some honey, sprinkle some crumbled pistacchio and a few pieces shredded almond on top and enjoy 


You can also serve Kaymak any kind of Turkish Dessert made with pastry like Turkish Baklava, Revani or Apricot Dessert.


Give Turkish Kaymak a try, it's very delicious  You can mix Kaymak with honey or jam using a fork and spread it over a fresh Turkish Bread slice, sprinkle some pistacchios or almonds on top and have it for breakfast, you'll enjoy it 


If you want thicker Kaymak, use 4 cups (1L) of whipping cream , and use a 3L Pyrex dish.


* Don't throw out the milk. You can use it to cook any kind of milk-based Turkish Dessert. For example, Turkish Rice Pudding.
and use full cream , not lite cream or it will not work , and if you can get your hands on buffalo cream its even nicer 
though buffalo milk is hard to get in Australia

Sultans Rice

0 

Sultan pilavi ( Sultans Rice)


1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut in bite sizes
1 large tomato, peeled, discard the seeds, cut in cubes
1/4 cup blanched almonds, slivered


Plain pilav:
1 cup rice
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper


Mini meatballs:
150 gr ground beef
1 egg
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Salt
Pepper


For Frying:
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup sunflower oil


Garnish:
Some dry oregano


First cook the rice, cover the lid and put aside.


Soak the eggplants in water with salt for 10 minutes to prevent bitterness and darkening of their colour. Squeeze the eggplants with your hands and dry them with a paper towel. Dip them in flour and fry in the sunflower oil until they are evenly coloured, but not burned. Leave them on a paper towel to soak the extra oil. Put aside.


Put the almonds in a pot and toast them for a few minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Put aside.


Knead the meatball ingredients: ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Make them into balls the size of walnuts.

Roll them in flour and fry them in the sunflower oil. Take them out with a perforated spoon and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle some oregano on top and put aside.


Add the tomato sauce with almonds and fried eggplants into the pilaf. Mix well and place on a service plate with a hole in the centre. Put the fried meatballs in there and serve while still warm.

Manti .

Mantı ( Turkish Dumplings)


this recipe is an ancient Turkish one , its roots are from china where Turks originated and is still made today 
by native Chinese Turks


Makes
20


Ingredients
1 small brown onion, grated
200g lean lamb mince
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon sweet mild paprika
1 teaspoon sumac
20 wonton wrappers
small fresh mint leaves and sweet mild paprika, to serve
Yoghurt sauce
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed


Method
Place onion, mince, mint, paprika, sumac and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix to combine.
Place half the wonton wrappers on work surface. Make dumplings: Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon mince mixture into the centre of each wrapper. Brush edges with cold water. Bring 2 opposite corners together. Press to seal. Repeat to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mince mixture.
Place a large steamer lined with baking paper over a wok or large saucepan of simmering water. Cook dumplings, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
Make yoghurt sauce: Place yoghurt, garlic and 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water in a bowl. Stir to combine. Drizzle over dumplings. Top with mint leaves and paprika. Serve.

Beef Pide

Beef Pide 


Preparation Time
40 minutes


Cooking Time
90 minutes


Makes
8


Ingredients
250ml (1 cup) milk
60g butter, chopped
1 1/2 tbs caster sugar
7g sachet dried yeast
675g (4 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 egg yolk
Beef & kashkaval filling
80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
1kg beef oyster blade or chuck steak, cut into 1cm pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs Turkish pepper paste
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 tbs oregano leaves
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
400g can chopped tomatoes
300g (2 cups) kashkaval cheese, grated (see note)


Method
To make filling, heat 2 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tbs oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add pepper paste, tomato paste, paprika, oregano and chilli (if using), and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add beef, tomatoes and 60ml (1/4 cup) water. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 50 minutes or until meat is tender and liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl. Cool.
Meanwhile, to make pide dough, warm milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat for 3 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is lukewarm. Set aside.
Combine sugar and 125ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm water in a small bowl, then scatter over yeast. Set aside for 8 minutes or until foamy.
Combine milk and yeast mixtures in a large bowl, add flour and 2 tsp salt, then stir to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball, place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
To make an egg wash for pide, whisk egg yolk with 1 1/2 tbs water. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 200C. Lightly grease 2 large oven trays. On a lightly floured work surface, knock down dough and divide into 8. Working with one portion at a time, roll into a 16cm x 25cm oval. Place 1/4 cup cheese in the centre, then top with one-eighth of the filling, leaving a 2.5cm border around the edge. Brush border with egg wash, then pull dough up and fold over to partially cover the filling. Pleat edge, then press down firmly. Brush dough with egg wash and transfer to trays. Bake, swapping trays halfway, for 20 minutes or until golden.
Slice or serve whole immediately.
Notes
Allow an extra hour to prove the dough.


Turkish pepper paste (biber salcasi), from selected delis, is a thick, deep-red paste made from red peppers and salt. Substitute tomato paste.


Kashkaval, available from selected delis, is a firm, yellow sheep's-milk cheese. Substitute other firm sheep's-milk cheese, such as kefalograviera or kefalotiri, from selected supermarkets. Or, use cheddar or processed mozzarella.

Gozleme

Gözleme




A traditional Turkish pastry with a savoury filling of feta cheese and spinach.
( you can also make a mince and potato version too but ive left this version vego friendly )


Preparation Time
45 minutes


Cooking Time
20 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
8g sachet instant dried yeast
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
3 cups plain flour
1/3 cup olive oil (see tip)
100g baby spinach
200g feta cheese, crumbled
lemon wedges, to serve


Method
Combine 300ml warm water, yeast, salt and sugar in a jug. Stir with a fork. Cover. Stand in a warm, sunny place for 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until elastic. Cut dough into 4. Place on a greased baking tray. Cover with a clean tea towel. Stand in a warm, sunny place for 20 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
Roll each piece dough into a 35cm x 45cm rectangle. Place one-quarter of spinach over half of each rectangle. Top with feta and season with salt and pepper. Fold dough over to enclose filling. Press edges together to seal.
Preheat a barbecue plate on medium-high heat. Brush one side of each gozleme with 2 teaspoons oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until base is golden. Brush uncooked side with remaining oil. Turn over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove to a serving plate. Cut gozleme into quarters. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pastirma .....mmmmmmmm Turkish Bacon

Turkey 


Pastırma ( also known as Muslim bacon , but enjoyed by Jews as well for the very same reason)


Ingredients: 1kg fillet of beef 8 tbsp fenugreek seeds, ground 65g red capsicum or capsicum paste ( sold in Turkish stores as SALÇA ( pronounced Salcha) also sold in european deli's Hungarian and Serbians use as well ), diced 15g hot chillies, chopped 100g garlic cloves, peeled plenty of fine sea salt 2 tsp ground cumin 


Trim all the fat from the fillet, wash well and pat dry. Place in a non-reactive dish and cover with the sea salt. Set aside for about 4 hours, or until the blood and juices have finished being drawn from the meat. Wash thoroughly then continue curing the meat. Place in a non-reactive dish and cover with salt. Place clingfilm over the top then cover with a board and weigh down. Set aside over night in the refrigerator. Each day, pour off any brine and add more salt. Re-cover and put the weights on top again then return to the refrigerator.


Continue this process until no more liquid comes out of the meat (about 12 to 15 days). Remove the meat and wash to remove any excess salt from the surface. Place in a large pan, cover with plenty of water then set aside over night to leach out most of the salt. Drain the meat and wash then pat dry with a clean tea towel. Using a stout needle thread butcher's twine through one end of the meat then hang up in a cool and dry place (typically it's hung from the ceiling in the kitchen).


Allow about 2 days for the beef to air-dry. After this time check the meat by pressing with your hands (it should feel dry but not hard). After this time, 


preparing the Çemen 


prepare pastırma spice. Mash the garlic very finely in a mortar or food processor. Add the casicum and chilli and mash once again to combine then work in the cumin and add up to 500ml water to form a paste that should be the consistency of mashed potatoes. Coat the meat with the Çemen then hang up in an airy place (there needs to be plenty of circulating air – the patio is good)


. Do this on a sunny week and 3 or 4 days hanging should be sufficient. By the end of the air drying the Çemen covering should be tacky to the touch but the meat inside should still have some give. Cover with a clean cheesecloth, pop in a plastic bag and either freeze or refrigerate. To use, slice very thinly and fry.

Noah's Pudding time

Summer has arrived in Australia and its delicious , however some of you will be starting to get cooler weather ...( yuck )
anyway here is a winter warmer that will soothe your soul called Aşure or Noah's Pudding
which is eaten today 3rd november , it was yesterday in Australia.

 Aşure Gunu is a holiday celebrated annually in Turkey. It signifies many events for Muslims, amongst the most significant being the day Noah's Ark set on dry land. The month long festivities center on promoting friendship, good relations between neighbors and universal peace and understanding.In Turkey, a traditional dish is prepared during this month ( roughly around  November ) known as Noah’s pudding. It is meant to symbolize the celebratory meal Noah made when he came off the Ark. It is a sign of peace.

The making of Aşure is a common practice among Muslim and Christian people in the Middle East. In Turkey, it is customary to prepare Aşure in November. 

Aşure prepared at home is shared with the neighbors. Generally people who prepare Aşure

send a cup to each of the neighbors in their building. As tradition goes the residents of forty

houses to your east, west, north and south are considered neighbors. One has responsibility of maintaining good relations with their neighbors regardless of what their religion or beliefs may be. It is also a custom to prepare it  in large cauldrons and distribute it to the poor.

THE RECIPE

Recipe for Noah's Pudding (makes 30 servings) Ingredients*: 

1 cup wheat

1 cup white beans

1 cup garbanzo beans

1 cup raisins

1 cup almonds

3/4 cup peanuts

12 dried apricots

5 1/2 cups sugar

water (enough to cover)

topping: walnuts, cinnamon

Preparation:1. Soak wheat, white beans, garbanzo beans and almonds in water overnight.

2. Boil the above ingredients, remove the outer shell or skin.

3. Soak the raisins in boiling water until they soften.

4. Put all the ingredients above (steps 1-3) in a large pot and boil. Add peanuts and almonds

(peeled and cut in half) at this point.

5. Chop the apricot into small pieces, add to mixture along with sugar.

6. Boil for 10-15 minutes.

7. Enjoy your pudding!

 Pomegranate, sesame seeds and orange peel are recommended

feel free to use whatever nuts you want , i omit walnut as it will send me into anaphylactic shock , but i have added it to the recipe as it is traditional to include it , i usually replace it with cashews.

Afiyet olsun !!

Turkish Delight :) 

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this is the only recommendation I'll make for a non cooking item , 
in the next few days I'll be adding my Favourite Turkish recipes again 
after a long hiatus.