expatriate-turkey

Today I will explain how to prepare tasty köfte (the pillar of Turkish cuisine), which I invite you to taste in lavaş bread and iced ayran. Ingredients Below you will find the ingredients you will need to prepare the tasty “köfte” meatballs (Köfte means meatballs, or did you already know that?) Ingredients 1/2 kg of minced veal 1 egg 1/2 onion 2 cloves of garlic 30 gr of breadcrumbs or fresh crumbs 5 gr of tomato paste 10 gr salt Parsley to taste Chili pepper to taste Paprika to taste Cumin to taste TIP: I prepare a mix of spices in a small glass, which I then add to my…

In this article I will tell you about how to prepare simit, I assure you that it is a very simple recipe. Those of you who have already visited Turkey will remember the scent of simits, which are sold everywhere in Turkey! These are those circular baked goods covered with sesame (similar to bread but with a slightly sweeter flavour). In Turkey, we eat simits for breakfast, as a snack or instead of bread. As a child, I often ate them during the day, especially when I was walking around Istanbul with my brothers. In the morning, however, I preferred another specialty, açma, whose dough is more similar to that…

Künefe is a very popular dessert in Turkey which we will also find widespread throughout the Middle East. Very simple to prepare, it requires the main ingredient, kadayıf, which unfortunately I must say is not easy to find in US. Kadayıf pasta is mainly prepared based with flour, water and salt. It is a typical ingredient of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a pasta cut into very thin threads used for many dessert recipes. These are intertwined threads that are wetted with sugar syrup. Keep the recipe ready for when you unexpectedly find kadayıf. Once I found it in an Italian hypermarket! Ingredients 500 gr of kadayıf 250 gr butter…

What is Ayran ? Refreshing yogurt-based drink. Milk? No, Ayran! Anyone who looks at this drink usually exclaims “So, do you drink milk to accompany your dishes?” Actually, ayran is not milk at all. It is a refreshing yogurt-based drink. It is highly appreciated by all Turks, it is drunk to accompany various dishes, such as lahmacun (Turkish pizza with minced meat) or any meat-based dish. I know more than one person who had an initially dubious reaction upon seeing the beverage. But once tasted, with the right dish, they were all enchanted. Now I will explain how to make this delicious beverage in your own home. Ingredients to prepare…

Stuffed Eggplants… Karnıyarık Here is another Turkish delicacy much appreciated by adults and children alike! Stuffed aubergines! In my house it was one of the many dishes served on Sunday or other special days. It is one of those dishes that recall the childhood of every Turk! It reminds me of the succulent dishes my mom cooked. The preparation is a bit long but it is really worth it. In Turkey, Karnıyarık are served with pilau rice or bulgur and cacık. Ingredients to prepare the stuffed aubergines Here are the ingredients to prepare the Karnıyarık, stuffed aubergines. 4 medium long eggplants 300 grams of chopped minced meat an onion a…

Homemade Iskender kebap recipe In this period, more than ever, I wanted to offer you a recipe capable of making you forget everything. In my opinion, it is the homemade Iskender kebap recipe. In my case, it’s a recipe for nostalgia. When I think about my childhood, my family, Turkey and France, I start cooking. So, here is the recipe for a homemade iskender kebap. Eating an iskender kebap is like going out to dinner in Turkey! Wonderful! It is a bit of a long process, since it starts the night before. Of course, you must also provide some pide bread to accompany this dish. Ingredients To prepare the meat,…

The pirinç pilavı, a marvel of simplicity Pirinç pilavı or pilaf rice, is the side dish that we see in almost all Turkish main dishes. In Turkey it is the star of the side dishes, because it is very tasty. Its preparation is simple and the result is truly excellent. I assure you that children love it, mine included. Ingredients Here are the ingredients to prepare the pirinç pilavı for 4 people. Rice for risotto (the equivalent of 2 glasses) 2 tablespoons of şehriye (also known as Italian rice) olive oil butter salt How to make it The first important step is to wash the rice to remove the starch.…