Delicious Turkish Recipes

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. 

Green lentil soup with noodles 

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 

1. Boil the green lentils with enough water. Chop the onion and garlic finely. 
2. Heat the butter in a separate pot. Roast the chopped onion and garlic over medium heat until it turns brown. 
3. Add tomato and pepper paste and mix. Add the flour and continue the roasting process until the smell comes out and turns colour. 
4. Add salt and pepper. Add hot chicken broth little by little. In order for the flour not to lump; Mix quickly with a whisk. 
5. Boil the soup after adding the noodles. Transfer the boiled green lentils to the soup pot after filtering the boiled water. 
6. Boil the soup with noodles and boiled green lentils for another 8-10 minutes. 
7. To serve the soup; Heat the butter in a small saucepan. After adding mint and chili peppers, remove from the stove. 
8. Add the butter you have melted to the soup and mix it and serve hot. Share it with your loved ones 

Stuffed Eggplants (aubergine) 

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 

How to prepare 

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.