John Myers
Turkish cuisine is characterized by delicious dishes that conjure up Mediterranean flair on every plate. In this article, we would like to present 5 typical Turkish recipes and how to prepare them.
Popular Turkish dishes: Börek is one of them
Börek is comparable to the German strudel. You can eat it both cold and warm, just like a strudel. Preparing this delicacy is not difficult.
- To prepare börek you will need ten sheets of yufka or filo. You can get these in Turkish supermarkets, for example. You also need butter, sesame, and black cumin for the basic recipe.
- For the filling, you can use 500 grams of minced meat, feta cheese, or spinach. If you want to fill your Börek with minced meat, first fry it in a pan with onions, salt, and pepper. Spinach leaves are stewed with onions and garlic.
- Cut the dough according to the shape you want. You can prepare börek in the shape of a cigar, but you can also roll it up as a snail in an oven dish. The dough is then brushed with plenty of melted butter and covered with the desired filling.
- Then fold the dough over itself and press the ends firmly. The finished Börek is then coated with melted butter again. If you like, you can also mix the butter with an egg yolk and some cane sugar. Then sprinkle cumin and sesame on the börek.
- The Börek is baked at 170 to 180 degrees. Depending on the desired size, the baking time is between 20 and 40 minutes. The Börek is ready when the dough has turned golden brown. While the small cigar börek is intended more as a snack, a börek snail serves as the main meal.
Ayran – the popular Turkish drinking yogurt
Ayran is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany and is therefore available in many supermarkets. With just a few ingredients, you can easily make the typical Turkish refreshing drink yourself.
To make Ayran, you only need three ingredients. water, natural yogurt, and salt. For 500 grams of yogurt, there are about 550 milliliters of water and about half a teaspoon of salt.
It is best to use cold water so that Iran gets a perfect consistency. You can whip the ingredients with a whisk. It’s even easier to get your drinking yogurt foamy if you mix the ingredients with a hand blender.
You can also make Ayran in a vegan version. To do this, simply use a plant-based yogurt alternative instead of natural yogurt. Soy yogurt is particularly good.
Kofte – The Turkish answer to the meatball
Kofte is an integral part of Turkish cuisine. The small meatballs can be prepared in advance and are also ideal to bring along for brunch, picnics, or barbecues.
- Traditionally, kofte is prepared with a mixture of minced lamb and beef. You can also prepare Turkish meatballs from pure ground beef. The amount depends on the number of balls you want. 1 kilogram of meat is enough for about 12-15 kofta.
- In addition to the mince, you will need onions, garlic, hot paprika powder, sweet paprika powder, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. You can also add herbs such as parsley if you like.
- The onions are cut into small cubes, the garlic is best put through a press. These are then mixed with spices and mince.
- From this mass, you then form small mini meatballs. Cover and leave the formed kofta in the fridge for about half an hour. That way they don’t fall apart later. After this resting period, the Turkish meatballs are fried in a pan with hot fat.
Lahmacun – The famous Turkish pizza
Even in Germany, there is hardly anyone who does not know Turkish pizza. Lahmacun is simply part of the menu in almost every Turkish restaurant or snack bar. You can also easily prepare this typical Turkish dish at home.
- The base of the Turkish pizza consists of yeast dough. For 500 grams of flour, take 300 milliliters of lukewarm water, half a cube of yeast, half a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Knead these ingredients until the dough pulls away from the edge of the bowl and a smooth dough has formed. Cover and leave to rest until the dough has about doubled in volume.
- For the topping, mix 500 grams of minced meat with finely chopped onions, pieces of pepper, and tomatoes. It is seasoned with pressed garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, tomato paste, paprika powder, oregano, and thyme.
- When the dough has risen, divide it into eight equal parts and roll each one out as thinly as possible on a floured work surface. These are then coated with the minced meat mixture. Place the lahmacun on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- The finished lahmacun is then baked in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about ten minutes. They taste best when eaten fresh and warm in the oven.
Baklava – A sugar-sweet Turkish pastry
Whether as a dessert or with coffee or tea, baklava is ideal. In the following chapter, you will find out how you can bake this sweet dish yourself at home.
- Also for this dish, you will need filo pastry, which you can buy in Turkish supermarkets. Add 100 grams each of chopped almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios. Also 150 grams of sugar, 150 milliliters of honey, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 packet of butter, and 150 milliliters of water.
- Mix the chopped nuts with the sugar and cinnamon. Cut the filo sheets to fit in a small casserole dish. The pastry sheets are brushed with melted butter and then placed in the greased casserole dish.
- Always about three to five sheets of dough on top of each other, then a layer of the nut filling.
- Then three to five sheets of dough again, then the nut filling again – as many layers as there are sheets of dough and mixture. Before the food goes into the oven, pre-cut the later portions. The remaining melted butter is then spread over the baklava.
- The baklava is baked at 200 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. While baking, boil the water and honey together to form a syrup. Then pour this mass over the finished baked baklava. After cooling, the dessert is ready.
