Ground Beef and Swiss Chard Stew (Pazı Kavurması) with Yogurt Dip (Sarmısaklı Dereotlu Yoğurt)

Makes 4 servings

300 g swiss chard * 300 g ground beef * 2 garlic cloves * 1 onion * 1 cup water * 3 tbsp olive oil * salt * red pepper

Cut the swiss chard and remove the stems. Cook with water. Filter and reserve. Sauté the minced onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the ground beef and go on sautéing for more 3-4 minutes. Add the swiss chard, seasonings and water and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with yogurt dip.

For the yogurt dip:

6 tbsp plain Turkish yogurt (or Greek) * salt * 2 tbsp minced fresh dill * 3 garlic cloves

Mix the yogurt with the minced dill and garlic. Pour this dip over the stew.

Ground Beef with Eggs (Kıymalı Yumurta)

Makes 2 servings

200 g ground beef * 2 small green peppers * 2 eggs * 3 tbsp olive oil * salt * dried thyme

Sauté the ground meat in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add the peppers cut in small pieces and the seasonings. Stir and cook for more five to seven minutes. Find some space in the middle of the meat for the eggs or cover the meat with the two eggs. You can spread a little the egg over the meat.

Forest Kebab (Orman Kebabı)

Makes 4 servings

250 g beef or veal * 2 tbsp olive oil * 1 large onion * 1 large potato * 1 carrot * 1 cup peas * 1 tsp tomato paste * 3 cups water * 1 tsp dried thyme * salt

Cut the meat in cubes and cook with water until it gets soft. Cut into small pieces and reserve. Mince the onion. Cut the potato and the carrot in small pieces. Sauté the onion in the olive oil. Add the tomato paste, potatoes, carrots and the cooked meat. Add the water, salt and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes over low heat. Add the peas (cooked, frozen or fresh) and cook for 10 minutes.

Kırkağaç Hamburgers (Kırkağaç Köftesi)

Kırkağaç is the name of a village located near the coast of the Aegean Sea and included in the province of Manisa. This köfte has the name of this village and is typical of the region.

Makes 4-5 servings

300 g ground beef or veal * 1 onion * 1 1/2 cup (approx.) old bread, crumbled * 100 g parsley * salt * oil to fry * plain yogurt

Mince the onion and parsley very finely. Mix all ingredients well, except the yogurt, and knead very well with the hands. Give shape to very thin and small hamburgers and fry them in hot oil. Put them on a kitchen towel, and then pass them to a serving plate. Serve hot, accompanied with plain yogurt.

Chicken Phyllo Rolls (Tavuklu Börek)

For around 15 rolls

1 onion * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 1 cooked and shredded chicken breast * black pepper * salt * red pepper * dried thyme * 3 sheets of filo pastry (yufka) * 1 egg * 3 tablespoons yogurt * 125 g melted margarine

Garrison:

1 yolk

Heat the chopped onion with the oil. Add the chicken and seasonings and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Mix the yogurt with an egg and melted margarine. Lay the filo sheets on top of each other, brushing the surface of each one with the liquid mix. Cut equal squares and top each one with the chicken. Roll each one up, tucking the ends inwards. Place on a tray greased with oil. Bake in a preheated oven at around 200º until golden and crispy.

Rice Stuffed Chicken (İç Pilavlı Tavuk Dolması)

There is also a version of this recipe made with turkey. The recipe with turkey is specific for the New Year, as the turkey in Turkey is almost only eaten in the New Year.
Both versions are a good suggestion for the New Year’s Supper or for the lunch of the first day of the year.

1 chicken with about 2 kg * 50 ml of olive oil * 2 tbsp thyme, * black pepper * red pepper * salt

Filling:

1 cup rice * 1 1/2 cup water * 3 tbsp dried red currants * 1 onion * 1 tbsp olive oil * salt * black pepper * 1 tsp cinnamon * 1 tsp all spice

Wash the rice and place it in hot water for about 20-30 minutes. Mix the olive oil with the spices and the salt. Place the chicken in an oven tray and brush it with this mixture. Put it in the oven at 180° for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Sauté the onion in olive oil. Add the rice and fry it lightly for about 2-3 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, all spice and cinnamon. Add the water and the red currants. Cook until all the water evaporates. Stuff the chicken with the rice and place the chicken again into the oven for about 15 minutes.
The rice recipe (İç Pilavı), which name means Rice for Stuffing, is also used as a filling of dolmas and sarmas and as a side dish.

Chicken Croquettes (Tavuk Köftesi)

Makes 4 servings

2 chicken breast (without bone and skin) * 1 cup water * 3 old bread slices * 1 onion * 1 tbsp minced parsley * 2 eggs * salt * black pepper * grated bread * 3 tbsp oil to fry

Boil the chicken in one cup water, on low heat, for about 25 minutes. Mince the chicken with the hands or use the mixer. Moisture the bread in some water and squeeze it. Mince the onion and the parsley. Mix the chicken with the bread, one egg, onion and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Take portions of the mixture in the size of an egg and give them a croquette shape. Whisk an egg. Place grated bread in another recipient. Put oil in a frying pan. Pass the croquettes first in the bread and then in the egg. Pass them again in grated bread and fry them. Serve hot.

Tekirdağ Hamburger (Tekirdağ Köfesi)

Makes 6 servings

1/2 kg ground veal or beef * 1 egg * 2-3 slices old bread * 1 onion * salt * black pepper * cumin * dry mint * oil to fry

Mince the onion very finely. In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the bread (in small pieces), the egg, the onion, the spices and the salt. Give shape to the köfte (hamburger shape) and fry them in a small amount of hot oil. Serve hot.

This is a typical köfte from the Turkish city of Tekirdağ, although it is consumed throughout Turkey. Tekirdağ is located in the northwest of Turkey, near the Greek boarder.

Rice Pilaf with Lamb, Mushrooms and Walnuts (Mantarlı Pilav)

Makes 10-12 servings

2 cups rice * 5 tbsp butter * 3 onions *100 g walnuts * 8 cups water * 500 g lamb meat * 2 tsp thyme * 200 g mushrooms * 3 tomatoes * 100 g fresh dill * 2 tsp sugar * 1 tsp black pepper * salt

Wash the rice and place it inside a bowl with warm water and salt for one hour. Then rinse it with cold water, filter and drain very well. Bring the onions and the meat, finely chopped, to fire with half of the butter. Sauté on low heat until the meat looses all the juice. Add the mushrooms and the tomatoes finely chopped and go on sautéing for some minutes. Add the water and let it cook for 30 minutes on low heat. When the meat is almost cooked add the rice, the salt, the black pepper and the sugar. First let it boil and then cook for 15 minutes on low fire. Melt the rest of the butter and add it to the rice. Close the pan and turn off the fire. Garnish with the dill and the thyme finely minced and the walnuts.

Rice with Chicken and Dried Fruits Covered with Phyllo Pastry (Perde Pilavı)

1 sheet phyllo pastry * 2 cups rice * 2 medium sized onions * 25-30 g butter or 4-5 tbsp olive oil * 1 tbsp dried currants * 1/2 cup sultana raisins * 200 g chicken chest (boiled and cut in small pieces) * 2 tbsp pine-nuts * 1 tsp allspice * salt * 4 cups hot water * 2 tbsp olive oil

Place the rice in a bowl with hot water and salt for 50-60 minutes. Place the dried currants and the sultana raisins in hot water for 30 minutes. Mince the onion and sauté with the olive oil or butter for 3-4 minutes. Filter the rice, add it to the onion and fry for 5-6 minutes stirring with a wood spoon. Add the chicken, boiled and cut in pieces, the sultana raisins and the dried currants (after filtering the water), the pine-nuts, the allspice, the salt and four cups of hot water. Cook covered over low heat until all the water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, grease a round cake tray, with 20-25 centimeters diameter, with two tea spoons of margarine. Cover the tray with the phyllo sheet. As the phyllo sheet is big (about 60 centimeters diameter), part of it will be out of the tray. When the rice is cooked, let it cool down a little and stir it carefully with a fork. Place the rice on the phyllo pastry sheet. Then cover it with the parts of the phyllo pastry sheet that were out of the tray and brush with two table spoons of olive oil. Bake on a 175º pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes. During this time both resistances of the oven (up and down) must be connected. Place the rice on a serving plate and serve hot.

Baked Kibbeh (Sini Köftesi)

500 g ground meat * 1 onion * 1 1/2 cup thin bulgur * 1 tbsp tomato paste * 1 tsp chili flakes * 1 tsp black pepper * 1 tsp cumin * salt

Mince the onion. Place the bulgur in hot water for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix very well the ground meat with the bulgur (after draining all the water), the onion, the tomato paste, the salt and the spices. Place this mixture in a greased oven tray and bake on a 180º preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot.

Baked Köfte with Potatoes and Tomato (İzmir Köftesi)

Makes 4 servings

500 g ground meat * 1 onion * 1 egg * 100 g old bread * 2 potatoes * 3 tomatoes * 4-5 green chili peppers * salt * black pepper

Mix well the minced onion with the ground meat, the crumbled bread, the egg, the salt and the black pepper. Take small amounts of the mixture and give them a cylindrical shape with your hands.
Take the shell to the potatoes and cut them into slices, in the style of apple slices. Absorb the water with a paper towel. Pour some oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes. Also fry the köfte in some olive oil. Place the potatoes in an oven tray. Cut the chili peppers in 2-3 slices and put them also in the tray. Place the köfte on the potatoes. Make tomato pure and add to it 1-2 tbsp of water. Cover the köfte and the potatoes with the tomato pure. Bake on a 170º preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Learn more about köfte here.

Raw Köfte (Çiğ Köfte)

100 g ground veal * 200 g thin bulgur * 5 garlic cloves * 30 g onion * 150 g pepper paste * 50 g tomato paste * 1 tsp dry mint * 1 tsp cumin * 1 tsp black pepper * 1 tsp allspice * 3 tsp red pepper * 100 g green onion * 100 g parsley

Mix the bulgur with the pepper and tomato pastes and with the spices. Add the meat and mix very well. Mince the onion, the garlic and the green onion very thin and add to the mixture. Knead very well with the hands for 3-5 minutes. Give an oval shape with the hands to small amounts of the mixture. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with lemon slices.

This dish is very much appreciated with Raki, the most popular alcoholic drink in Turkey.

Çiğ köfte seller in Ankara.

The çiğ köfte is shaped at the moment and placed on a very thin bread sheet (lavaş), which is rolled around the çiğ köfte. This is a very common Turkish fast-food.

Çiğ köfte ready to be sold. It can be bought like this also in the supermarkets.

Learn more about çiğ köfte here

Veal Köfte over Bread (Islama Köfte)

Makes 4 servings

For the köfte:

500 g ground veal * 4-5 old bread slices * 1 onion * 1 egg yolk * salt * black pepper * allspice * 2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce and garnish:

4 old bread slices * 4 garlic cloves * 40 g butter * 2 cup water * 4-5 lettuce leaves * 3 tbsp minced parsley * salt

Prepare the köfte. Place the meat in a deep bowl. Crumble the bread and mince the onion. Add the bread, the onion, the egg yolk, the salt, the black pepper and the allspice to the ground meat and mix very well. Separate portions of the mixture with the same size, give them a cylindrical shape and then make them flat with the fingers. Prepare the garnish. Melt the butter and then add the crumbled garlic cloves, the salt and the water and bring it to boil. Meantime, fry the köfte with olive oil. Pour the sauce on the bread and sprinkle with the minced parsley. Place the köfte on the bread. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

Learn more about köfte here.

Turkish Crusty Crepes with Ground Meat (Kapalı Lahmacun)

For the dough:

500 g flour * 1 tbsp dry yeast + 1 cup warm water * enough water * salt

For the filling:

500 g ground meat * 2 onions * 1 tbsp olive oil * 2 tomatoes * 1/2 tbsp pepper paste * 3 chili peppers * salt * black pepper * 100 g parsley

Prepare the dough. Dissolve the yeast in a cup of warm water and let it wait until the volume increases. Add the flour and the salt and mix well adding the necessary amount of water until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl walls or to your hands. Cover with a wet cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature until the volume increases. Prepare the filling. Cut the onions and fry them with olive oil. Add the pepper paste and mix. Add the ground meat and cook for a while. Then, add the tomatoes and the chili peppers cut into small pieces, the black pepper, and the salt and mix well. When all the ingredients are very well connected take from the fire and add the minced parsley. Open the dough with the rolling pin and separate portions of dough with the size of a meal plate. Cover each one with the filling and close. Brush with egg yolk and bake on a 180º preheated oven until they become crusty.

You can learn more about lahmacun here

Spinach with Ground Meat Stew (Kıymalı Ispanak)

100 g ground meat * 250 g spinach * 1/4 medium sized onion * 1 garlic clove * 2 tsp olive oil * 2 tsp tomato paste * salt * black pepper * cumin

Mince the onion very thin and sauté with the olive oil and the ground meat. Add the tomato paste and then the spinach cut into medium pieces. Go on sautéing for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, the salt, the black pepper, the cumin and enough water. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat.

Börek with Ground Meat (Domates Sulu Kıymalı Börek)

50 ml olive oil * 200 g ground meat * 1 onion * 100 g parsley * 2 cups tomato juice * 50 ml water * 3 sheets philo pastry * salt * black pepper

Sauté the minced onion with the ground meat. Add the minced parsley, the salt and the black pepper and mix. Let it cool down and put aside. Mix the tomato juice with the water and the olive oil. Place one of the philo pastries in a greased oven tray. As the philo pastry is bigger than the oven tray, the sides will be out of the oven tray. Cover it with the tomato mixture. Cut the second philo pastry in two pieces with the same size and use one of the pieces to cover the first philo pastry. Place the ground meat on it and then cover with the other half. Again, make it wet with the tomato mixture. Cover with the third philo pastry. You must make it fit totally inside the oven tray by making small hills. Close the börek with the sides of the first philo pastry. Put the rest of the tomato sauce on the top and bake on a 180º preheated oven until it becomes a little crusty.

Ground Meat Turkish Pizza (Kıymalı Kır Pidesi)

For 12 pizzas

For the dough:

1 cup margarine * 1 cup oil * 1 cup yogurt * 1 cup water * 1 tbsp baking powder * 1 egg white * enough flour

For the filling:

300-350 g ground meat * 2 onions * 1 tomato * salt * black pepper

To garnish:

4-5 cherry tomatoes * 1-2 green chili peppers * 1 egg yolk

Prepare the filling. Mince the onions, take the shell to the tomatoes and cut them into pieces. Place the ground meat in a bowl and add the minced onion, the tomatoes, the salt and the black pepper. Mix very well using a fork to press. Prepare the dough. Mix the flour and the baking powder, the margarine at room temperature, the oil, the yogurt, the water and the egg white. Knead very well in order to get a soft and homogeneous dough that you can easily work with your hands. Separate portions of dough in the amount of a tangerine (150 g) and open each one with a rolling pin. Place the filling in the center, and close the dough using the sides and giving the shape of a boat. Put a greased paper in an oven tray and place the pizzas on the paper. Brush the pizzas with egg yolk. Bake them on a 180º preheated oven. Take the pizzas from the fire and garnish them with tomatoes and chili peppers.

Turkish Ravioli (Kayseri Mantısı)

Kayseri is a Turkish city located in central Anatolia. Kayseri Mantısı is one of Kayseri's most famous and typical dishes.

Makes 6 servings

For the dough:

4 cups flour * 1 egg * 100 ml water * salt

For the filling:

1 onion * 250 g ground beef * salt

For the sauce:

2 tomatoes * 3 chili peppers * 1 tbsp olive oil * 2 tsp butter * 2 tsp pepper paste * 50 ml water * red pepper * dry sweet basil

To garnish:

Sumac * Yogurt Sauce with Garlic (Sarımsaklı Yoğurt) - 4 tbsp yogurt * 2 tbsp water * salt * 2 garlic cloves

Prepare the dough. Mix the flour, the egg, the salt and the water and knead well. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes. Separate small amounts of dough. Open each amount of dough with a wood pin on a floured surface. Cut little squares with 1 cm x 1 cm. Prepare the filling. Mix the chopped onion with the ground beef and the salt. Place this mixture in the center of each square. Close all the sides very well. After filling all the squares, place them on a large pot and cook them with water and salt. Drain and pour over a cup of cold water. Place the mantı on a deep serving plate. Prepare the sauce. Mince the tomatoes and the peppers and sauté with olive oil. Add the butter, the red pepper, the sweet basil, the water and the pepper paste. Pour the sauce on the mantı. Garnish with the yogurt sauce and sprinkle with sumac.

To make the yogurt sauce, mix very well the yogurt, with the water, the garlic and a little salt. If the yogurt is very thick, add a little more water.

You can learn more about mantı here.

Veal Stew with Couscous (Kuskuslu Sebzeli Et Yahnisi)

Makes 1 serving

2 tbsp olive oil * 150 g veal * 1 carrot * 1/2 onion * 1 tsp red pepper * 1 garlic clove * 1 tsp cumin * 1 tsp cinnamon * 1 tsp powder saffron * 50 g boiled chickpeas * salt * black pepper

For the sauce:

50 ml olive oil * 1 garlic clove * 3 red chili peppers * 50 g nuts

For the couscous:

1 cup couscous * 2 cups water * salt

Pour the olive oil on a pan. Add the chopped onion, the minced garlic and the meat cut into small cubes. Sauté for some minutes on low heat. Add the carrot cut into small cubes, the salt and all the spices. Continue sautéing for 2 minutes more. Then, add 2 cups of water and cook on low fire until the meat is soft. Add the boiled chickpeas, mix well and turn the fire off. Prepare the sauce. Place all the ingredients in the mixer. Cook the couscous with water and salt until all the water evaporates. Serve the couscous covered with the meat and the sauce.