Crispy Okra (Çıtır Bamya Mezesi)

 

Years and years ago when we moved to the south for a couple of years, I decided to give fried okra a chance,  despite it being my least favorite vegetable. To my surprise it turned out to be a rather enlightening moment. I discovered when prepared this way okra becomes quite palatable and even makes for an excellent meze. Through some experimentation, I found that crispy okra, especially when served on garlicy yogurt, is the best. 

Nothing is set in stone here. Feel free to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking or based on your needs. 

~1/2 lb or less fresh okra pods, sliced

1-2 tbsp olive oil

~3 tbsp cornmeal

1 cup yogurt

1 clove of garlic, minced

optional: 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp paprika or crushed hot pepper flakes

-Coat the sliced okras with olive oil in a bowl. Once they're coated, add cornmeal and coat them with cornmeal as well.

-Arrange the sliced okras in a single layer on a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 430F preheated oven for ~20 minutes or until crispy. 

-Mix one cup of yogurt with one clove of minced garlic and a dash of salt. Cover the bottom of a plate with yogurt. Top it with crispy okras. 

-In a small frying pan, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add either paprika or, if you want spicy, crushed pepper flakes. Drizzle it on top of okras and yogurt.

_Sprinkle some fresh dill and serve. 

Bon appétit! 

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Haydari Yogurt Dip/Side

 

Haydari, a sine qua non for rakı tables, is a perfect summer side dish or dip. It is great with grilled meat or on toasted bread. Traditionally it's made by mixing strained/Greek yogurt and white cheese--although some try to skip the cheese, we all know that it ain't haydari if there's no cheese. 

~2 cup strained or Greek yogurt (in Turkey it's always whole milk yogurt, but non-fat is also fine)

1/2 cup Turkish or Bulgarian white cheese. If you cannot find them, use feta. 

1 clove of garlic, minced

2-3 tsp dry mint leaves 

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

salt

-With a mortar and pestle mash the white cheese to a smooth texture. You can use the back of a fork as well but make sure there are absolutely no lumps left. 

-Mix the cheese and yogurt, and half of the fresh dill, and salt in a bowl. The amount of salt depends on the saltiness of the cheese. Adjust to your taste. 

-In a small pan heat 2 tbsp butter,1 tbsp olive oil, and garlic. 

-When the butter starts bubbling. Turn the heat off and add the dry mint. Set aside to cool down to room temperature. 

-Once the butter cools down, mix it into the yogurt. Mix it really well.

!!!Once you mix the butter into the yogurt, haydari should never go into the fridge, should stay out at room temperature.!!!

-Serving: Haydari is best served on an oval or rectangle serving plate. Lay it evenly on the plate and then make dents with the side edge of the scoop for olive oil that we'll use to decorate to stay on,  as in the picture. 

-Drizzle the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the fresh dill.

Bon appétit!

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Carrot Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Havuç Salatası)

Carrot salad with yogurt is one of the greatly respected rakı companions. Although it is made at homes not so frequently, usually for big dinner parties or special occasions like New Year's eve or bayram dinners, it is a  staple meze (appetizer/starter/hors d'oeuvre) at every pub that serves rakı, especially at seafood pubs. Surprisingly carrot salad with yogurt tastes even better at sloppy pubs with crusty bread and rakı than it does at home, probably because rakı fixes every imperfection. You can have this salad/meze on the side of any grilled goods or have it on its own for lunch on hot summer days.


serves 2 to 3 people
4 cups of grated carrot
1 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
salt
1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)

-Heat oil in a skillet and add grated carrots. Stir until carrots are wilted.
-Mix yogurt, garlic, and salt in a bowl.
-Put carrots in a bowl and mix well with yogurt and sprinkle with dill or parsley.

note: At people's houses this meze is made with yogurt, but at pubs they sometimes use mayonnaise to thicken it up.

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Cauliflower with Yogurt Sauce (Yoğurtlu Karnabahar)

This light and healthy cauliflower recipe makes one of the easiest and most delicious cauliflower dishes. The dish has two versions: vegetarian and with ground beef. The ground meet version is usually referred to as "fake mantı" (i.e. Turkish dumpling), since mantı filled with ground meat is also served with garlicky yogurt sauce on top. What follows is the recipe for the vegetarian version. 

serves 2

1 head of cauliflower 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

salt

1 cup yogurt

1 tsp red pepper flakes OR 2-3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp paprika

-Chop cauliflower in 1/2 inch slices. 

-Heat a wide bottom pot, cast iron or stainless steel. Add olive oil once heated. Add chopped cauliflower.

-Stir on medium to low avoiding browning for 10-15 minutes. You can cover and cook for 5 minutes of the total time. 

-Once cooked add minced garlic and salt, cook for 2 minutes.

-The dish is ready. You can serve it in two ways. 

    1) Place cauliflower on a serving plate. Place yogurt on top and sprinkle with pepper flakes (and what other spices you wish, such as mint, basil) 

    2) Place cauliflower on a serving plate. Place yogurt on top. Heat olive oil in a little pan. Once hot add paprika and let it sizzle for 10 seconds. Pour this hot olive oil+paprika sauce     on top of yogurt. 

Enjoy!

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Zucchini Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Kabak Salatası)

Zucchini salad with yogurt is a favorite summer time cold delicacy. It is served as a side dish at afternoon tea gatherings along with any kind of pogacas or filo dough pastries, or as a meze/appetizer at dinner. You can serve it with grilled meat or simply as a side to anything you want. I love this salad as lunch on toasted bread and sometimes with crumbled white cheese/feta on top. It is quite easy and quick to make and simply delicious. Even those who do not like zucchini enjoy this salad. In Turkish cuisine to have a zucchini dish without fresh dill or mint is unheard-of. For this salad it's common to use both fresh mint and dill. If you do not like one of them you can leave that one out, but only one. Zucchini salad has to have at least one fresh herb.

serves 4
3 medium size zucchini, coarsely grated (makes approximately 3 cups)
2/3 cup thick plain yogurt )enough to barely cover zucchini, not much)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of minced garlic, depending on how much you like garlic
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/8 cup or as much as you want fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tsp mint flakes or 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
salt

optional
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

-Grate zucchinis in a bowl. Squeeze grated zucchini by hand and drain excessive juice.
-Heat olive oil in a pan. Add zucchini and cook for 5-6 minutes or until wılted and tender stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool down.
-Mix yogurt, minced garlic and a pinch of salt well in a bowl.
-When zucchini cools down, mix zucchini, walnuts, dill, mint, salt, and the garlicy yogurt.
-Serve cold.

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Beet Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Pancar Salatası)

A popular appetizer / meze for Turkish brandy, rakı and red meat, and a very common winter salad.

2 medium size beets
1 cup yogurt (better to use strained yogurt)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped dill or 1 tbsp basil flakes
salt and vinegar to taste

-Wash beets well, cut the stems, and boil them for ~25-30 minutes until cooked.
-When they cool down, peel and grate them. (While doing so, use an apron and gloves if you wish and don't wear white)
-Beat garlic, yogurt and olive oil in a bowl until smooth, and then mix with beets.
-Season with salt and vinegar

-Sprinkle dill or basil on top.

-Serve with bread, pita chips and / or as a side for red meat dishes.

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Celery Root Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Kereviz Salatası)

There are two common lies that Turkish moms tell their non-celery root liking kids. If celery root is cooked, the mom forces the dish as a potato dish. The different smell and taste? Oh, it's just the spice she used! However, if celery root is to be eaten raw, as in celery root salad with yogurt, then the kid is told that it is radish salad. I loved radishes as a kid and tried this so-called radish salad served on a New Year's Eve dinner, which is a big celebration in Turkey that includes lot of drinking, turkey, numerous raki friendly salads and olive oil dishes, bingo, several kilos of fruit, and a belly dancer that appears on every TV channel exactly at midnight.



























1 medium celery root, thinly grated
juice of 1/2 lemon
thick yogurt
mayonnaise
chopped walnuts
salt
dill, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil

-Grate celery root in a bowl.
-Squeeze lemon juice on top and mix well.
-Add enough yogurt+mayo to cover grated celery root. The ideal ratio of mayo to yogurt 1:3, however, you can change it to adopt your taste.
-Add minced garlic, chopped walnuts, dill, salt, and olive oil. Mix well.
-Cover with a clear wrap and store in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.

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Purslane Salad with Yogurt (Yoğurtlu Semizotu Salatası)

When I was 7 or 8 years old, purslane was introduced to me as one of the cousins of spinach, namely its aunt's daughter. Since I loved spinach very much, my parents introduced every other green leaf to me as a member of extended spinach family. Purslane grew on me in time, and ascended to the throne of spinach. During my dad's futile trials of having a lawn, one batch of grass seeds came mixed with purslane seeds! We never had a lawn, but we had delicious purslane for many summers. In Turkish cuisine we use purslane raw in salads or cook them just like spinach. It has a sweet and sour delicious taste.

You can find purslane--it's also called verdolaga--at Mexican or Latin American markets here in the States or in your yard.


























purslane, washed and leaves picked
yogurt, enough to cover purlane leaves
as much garlic as you want, minced
salt

optional
crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil, a couple of drops

-Mix yogurt, salt, and garlic in a bowl.
-Add purslane to this mixture.

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Cold Soft Wheat Berry Soup (Soğuk Buğday Çorbası)

I'm back from Turkey with great memories and recipes. The first recipe is "cold soft wheat berry soup." Although this dish is called soup, it might be served as an appetizer or a side dish. However it's served, it's a great refreshing and healthy dish for hot and humid summer days. During most summer days, my mom keeps cooked soft wheat berries ready in the refrigerator (they are usually good for at least a week). The last week of July was unbearably humid generally in Turkey and especially in my hometown; so hot and humid that our favorite pass time activity was to sit motionless in front air conditioners. During those painful days, cold soft wheat berry soup and ice cold watermelons were the only two things we could have for lunch and both felt sooo good.






















soft wheat berries
yogurt
water
dried-mint flakes or finely chopped fresh mint
oregano leaves
red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt

-Boil wheat berries with a good amount of water until cooked. (You can cook more than you need for the day and keep the rest in the refrigerator for at least a week)
-Take as much as you need in a big bowl and add yogurt on top enough to cover the berries when mixed. (We always add a little more than necessary to cover berries)
-If you like a thick bowl of soup, do not add water, but if you like it thinner add some water. With this soup, everything is up to you; you can add more or less of everything.
-Sprinkle mint, oregano, pepper flakes, and salt on top.
-Add 1 or 2 tbsp of olive oil.
-Mix and serve cold.

This recipe with the dried herbs is for Weekend Herb Blogging. WHB was founded by Kalyn and is hosted by Zorra from Kochtopf.

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Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt (Çılbır)

 Çılbır (pronounced "chilber") is one of my all time favorite comfort dishes. The perfect harmony of eggs, yogurt, and paprika is simply delicious. It offers everything you'd expect from a comfort dish; it's easy to make, very light, and yummy. For those reasons I wasn't surprised when I came across it in Marianna Yerasimos’ 500 Hundred Years of Ottoman Cuisine; if çılbır made it to the palace kitchen, then there's no need for discussion over how great it is. Peotry, military, architecture put aside, Ottomans were infamous for creating comfort for themselves in every possible environment and delicious food, which brings us back to my favorite comfort food: çılbır.

The recipe below is for 1, but you can easily make it for more people by adding more eggs, yogurt, and butter.

2 eggs
2 tbsp vinegar
5 cups of water (or more)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tbsp butter
mint flakes
salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

-Bring to boil water, vinegar, and salt in a medium size pot. When it starts boiling, turn it down to medium heat.
-Break eggs one at a time in a small bowl, and glide them, one by one, in to the very hot but not boiling water. (If the water is boiling vigorously when you pour the eggs, you cannot have a homogeneous cooking or keep the egg together) Do not cook more than 2 eggs at a time. If an egg starts going messy in water, try to pull it together with a spoon.
-Cook them for 3-4 minutes for medium soft yolk. For a hard yolk, you need to cook them at least for 5 minutes .
-Take them with slotted spoon on a plate.
-Pour yogurt on them. (If you want to have your çılbır "a la turque", mix yogurt with 1 clove of minced garlic; you won't beleive how poachhed eggs go well with garlicy yogurt)
-On a skillet heat butter. When it sizzles add paprika. Stir for half a minute or less (just don't let it burn) and pour it on top of eggs and yogurt.
-Sprinkle mint flakes on top.

As I said before it is extremely easy to make çılbır; there are only a couple of points to be careful about: don't put the eggs in boiling water; bring it to a boil and then let it calm down and do not break the eggs directly into the pot; instead break them in little bowl and let them glide.

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Yogurt Soup (Yayla Çorbası)

Yogurt soup is a popular comfort dish both in Turkey and Central Asia. To me, it shows how we, Turks, are obsessed with yogurt; we even cook it! It's also a very common sick soup; even inhaling the strong smell of mint or tarragon makes you feel better. Although Turks love this soup, I can see why many people, especially those who are not in good terms with yogurt, may not like this. So, the decision is up to you: to try or not to try...

1/4 cup rice
5 cups of water (if you wish you can use half chicken stock, half water)
2 cups of plain yogurt
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp dried mint or tarragon
1 tsp salt

-Boil rice in 5 cups of water with salt until (very) soft.
-In a bowl, beat the egg and flour well, and then add yogurt and mix. With 1-2 tbsp water lighten up this mixture.
-Put the yogurt mix in a pot and start cooking on very low. It's important that you start with low heat, otherwise yogurt would curdle. Give yogurt some time to get used to heat. Cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes and keep stirring.
-Slowly pour in rice along with water into the soup. Keep stirring. First let it boil on medium and then turn it down and cook for another 10 minutes.
-Heat butter in a pan. Once it sizzles, add mint flakes and stir for 20-30 seconds (don't let it burn). Then, pour it into soup.

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