Potato Salad (Patates Salatası)

Makes 5-6 servings

5 medium sized potatoes * 50 g parsley * 1 carrot * 1/2 lemon juice * black pepper * salt

Boil the potatoes and the carrot. Filter and mash them with a fork or in the mixer. Mince the parsley. Mix the mashed potatoes and carrot with the minced parsley, lemon juice and a bit of black pepper and salt. Let it cool down a little. Make small balls and serve cold or warm with pickles.

Chickpea Salad (Nohut Salatası)

Makes 4 servings

400 g cooked chickpeas * 6 tbsp olive oil * 6 tbsp vinegar * 1 lemon juice * 4 tbsp minced scallions * 6 tbsp minced parsley

Mix the olive oil with the vinegar, lemon and salt. Cover the chickpeas with the sauce and mix. At the time of serving add the parsley and scallions and mix.

Swiss Chard Pie (Pezik Mücveri)

This is a delicious recipe typical from the Black Sea region.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 bunch swiss chard (about 750 g) * 1 onion * 1 tbsp flour * 2 eggs * 2 cups cooked rice * dry mint * black pepper * salt * olive oil to fry

Wash the swiss chard and cut the stems. Mince the swiss chard and boil with water. Filter and reserve. In a bowl, mix the eggs, the flour, the minced onion, the cooked rice and all the seasonings. Add the swiss chard and mix well. Put oil in a large and anti-adherent frying pan. The pan must be completely covered with olive oil. Pour the mixture in the whole area of the pan. Cook on low heat, one of the sides, for about 10 minutes. When that side is cooked, fry the other side of the mixture. For that, use a plate with the same diameter of the frying pan or bigger. Place the dish on the pan and turn the pan, so that the mixture falls on the plate. Place the side that has not been cooked in the pan. Cook that side for about 10 minutes. Let cool down a little and turn on a serving plate. Serve cut into slices.

Sautéed Potato Puree (Patates Kavurması)

Makes 2-3 servings

6 medium potatoes * 1 large onion * 1 tbsp pepper paste or 1 small tomato * 4-5 tbsp olive oil * red pepper * dry mint * black pepper * salt

Boil the potatoes. Mince the onion and sauté slightly in the olive oil. Add the pepper paste or a peeled tomato cut in small pieces. Add the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and spices. Stir for about one minute over medium heat. Take from the fire and serve.

This dish is usually served as an appetizer, but it is also delicious as a side dish.

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.

Fried Cauliflower (Karnabahar Tava)

1 cauliflower * 1 cup crumbled kaşar cheese (or cheddar) * 2 coffee cups flour * 1 egg * 2 coffee cups corn starch * 1 bottle (33 cl) of mineral water with gas or beer * salt * oil to fry

Wash the cauliflower and separate the flowers. Cook with water and salt. Then, wash with cold water. In a bowl, place the mashed cheese, the flour, the egg, the corn starch, the water (or the beer) and the salt. Pass the cauliflower on this sauce, one by one, and fry.



This dish is a delicious appetizer and is included in the many Turkish meze (appetizer). The meze have a very special role in the Turkish cuisine, and many times the Turkish meals are composed by a group of various meze.

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.

Beetroot and Yogurt Dip (Yoğurtlu Pancar Mezesi)

Makes 2 servings

4 tbsp plain yogurt * 1 beetroot * 2 garlic cloves * 1 tbsp dried thyme * salt

Place the beetroot in a cooking pan, cover with water and cook until it gets soft. Filter and let it cool down. Cut into small and thin pieces. Reserve. Place the yogurt in a small bowl. Add the beetroot pieces, the minced garlic, the salt and the thyme and mix.

This dipping sauce can be served as an appetizer combined with other mezes, or as a complement of a main dish.

Stuffed Zucchinis (Kabak Dolması)

4 zucchinis * 1 tbsp tomato paste * 2 cups hot water

For the filling:

1 cup bulgur * 1 big onion * 1 cup water * 1 tbsp all spice * 100 g parsley * 1 tbsp olive oil * salt

For the yogurt sauce (sarımsaklı yoğurt):

5 tbsp yogurt * 2 minced garlic cloves * 2 tbsp thyme * salt

Cut a little of the base of each zucchini so they can remain upright. Cut also a little of the top of each one. Cut them in half. Remove the pulp of the zucchinis with a coffee spoon. Reserve. Mince the onion and sauté in the olive oil. Add the bulgur and the minced parsley and sauté a little more. Season with salt and all spice. Add a glass of water and cook over low fire until the water evaporates. Stuff the zucchinis with this mixture and place them in a pot with two cups of hot water and a soup spoon of tomato paste. Close the pot and cook on low fire for about 45 minutes. Mix all the ingredients of the yogurt sauce. Serve the zucchinis with the yogurt sauce.

Fried Mussels with Dipping Sauce (Midye Tava)

Makes 4 servings

30 mussels * 4 tbsp flour * 1 egg * 1/2 cup beer * salt * black pepper * 1 cup oil for frying

For the dipping sauce:

2 tbsp pine-nuts * 2 tbsp milk * 1 tbsp cream * 2 garlic cloves * 1 tbsp lemon juice * salt * black pepper

Mix the flour with the egg, the beer, the salt and the black pepper. Put each mussel in this mixture and fry in hot oil. When the mussels become cooked place them on a paper towel.
Prepare the sauce. Beat the milk with the cream and the minced garlic. Add the lemon, the salt, the black pepper and the pine-nuts.
Serve the mussels with the dipping sauce in different plates. Each person can cover the mussels with the desired amount of sauce. These mussels can also be eaten inside the bread. In that case, they can be also covered with the sauce.

Baked Eggplants with Veggie Filling (İmambayıldı)

Many Turkish dishes have interesting names. The direct translation of this recipe is "the Imam fainted".

Makes 6 servings

6 medium sized eggplants * 6 tsps sugar * 1 tbsp olive oil * 1 coffee cup olive oil * 6 garlic cloves * 3 medium sized onions * 4 medium sized tomatoes * 50 g parsley * salt * 1-2 red bell pepper (to garnish)

Peel the eggplants. Mix 2 tsps of salt with 2 tsps of sugar and sprinkle the eggplants. Let them wait for 30 minutes. Dry the eggplants very well. Place them on a oven tray and pour over the olive oil. Bake them on a 200º pre-heated oven until they become soft (aprox. 20 minutes). On a frying pan, sauté the garlic and the onion with the olive oil (1 tbsp). Peel the tomatoes, cut them in cubes and add them to the garlic and onion. Add 4 tsps of sugar and some salt. When the tomato juice evaporates, turn off the fire. Mince the parsley and add to the mixture. Place some of the mixture over each one of the eggplants, after having opened the eggplants a little. Garnish each one with a piece of red bell pepper. Cover the oven tray with aluminum folio and bake again for 10 minutes on a 200º preheated oven.

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

Zucchini Patties with Yogurt Sauce (Kabak Mücveri)

For the patties:

3 zucchinis * 1 onion * 1 cup flour * 3 eggs * 1 tbsp minced fresh oreganos * 1 tbsp minced fresh basil * salt * black pepper

For the yogurt sauce:

1 tbsp minced fresh parsley * 2 cups yogurt * 1 cucumber * 1 garlic clove * 2 tsp lemon juice * 1 tbsp minced fresh mint

Prepare the patties. Scrape the zucchinis and the onion. Place in a bowl the flour, the beaten eggs, the onion, the oreganos, the basil, the salt and the black pepper and mix very well. Pour oil in a frying pan and make it hot. For each patty, pour in the frying pan 3 tbsp of the mixture and fry both sides. Place on a paper towel. Prepare the yogurt sauce. Scrape the cucumber, mince the garlic and the mint. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well.

This sauce is to be served with the mücver and not to be poured on them. It’s very delicious...

Bulgur Croquettes with Yogurt Sauce (Şark köftesi)

2 cups thin bulgur * 1 1/2 cup hot water * 2 tbsp dried mint * 1 onion * 2-3 tbsp flour * 1 egg white * salt

For the sauce:

1 cup yogurt * 2-3 garlic cloves * 30 g margarine * 2 tsp red pepper

Soak the bulgur in hot water until it gets soft and until all the water evaporates. Add to the bulgur the minced onion, the mint, the flour, the egg white and the salt. Knead well until you get a consistent dough and, if necessary, add some water. Separate portions on the amount of a walnut and give an oval shape to each one. Bring to boil water with salt. Put the croquettes in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Place the croquettes in a serving plate. Prepare the sauce. Mix the yogurt with the minced garlic. Bring to low heat the margarine with the red pepper. Cover the croquettes with the yogurt and then with the margarine. Serve hot.

Turkish Meat and Rice Balls (Kadınbudu Köfte)

The direct translation of this dish is Lady’s Thighs.

500 g ground meat * 2 onions * 3 eggs * 75 g rice * 50 g parsley * tsp black pepper * 1 tsp dry thyme * 1 tsp cumin * oil to fry * 1 cup flour * 1 cup bread crumb * salt

Cook the rice with salt and water. Put the ground meat in a bowl. Add the chopped onions, 1 egg, the rice, the chopped parsley, the salt, the black pepper, the thyme and the cumin and knead very well. Take small amounts of the mixture with the size of a tangerine and give an oval shape to each one. Beat 2 eggs. Place the flour on a plate and place the bread crumb on another plate. First dip each köfte in the flour, then dip in the eggs and then in the crumb bread. Fry the köfte and put them on a paper towel for the excess of oil to be absorbed. Serve hot or warm.