ALI NAZIK ( Minced meat with yogurt and aubergine puree )

INGREDIENTS

• 4 small or 2 large aubergines
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 250 gr lean lamb or steak mince
• 1-2 tsp oil
• 1  onion, diced
• Half a red pepper, diced finely
• 1 small chilli pepper ( optional ), diced finely
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• little salt
• 4 heaped tbsp thick natural yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper

METHOD

1) First wash the aubergines and smoke them on the gas flame on top of the stove until the skin is charred on all sides and the flesh is soft. Turn them from time to time until charred all over. You can do this under the grill or in the oven if you haven't got gas hob. When they are done set aside for a few minutes to cool.

2) Then hold each aubergine and peel of the charred skin under running water. Squeeze the flesh and place them on a chopping board. Chop the aubergines to a pulp and discard the stalk. Place all the aubergine pulp in a bowl.Mix with the lemon juice and oil. Set aside.

3) Stir fry the mince with onion  in oil until browned. Add the chili, red pepper, tomato paste and water to cover the mince. Bring it to boil. Turn the heat to low and cook the mince for 10-15 minutes. Add the parsley and salt and set aside with the lid on to keep it  warm.

4) Mix yogurt with crushed garlic and salt. Add the aubergine pulp to the yogurt mixture and heat in a frying pan gently to warm it. Do not boil. Add seasoning to taste.

5) Transfer the yogurt and aubergine mixture to the serving plate. Heat up the mince if need, then place it on top of the aubergine and yogurt dressing. Drizzle some of the juices from the meat over the yogurt and and aubergine bed and  serve it strength away. This serves 2.

YUVARLAMA

These little meatballs are my favourite as it is my childhood food. My mam used to make these so it always brings back happy memories.

YOU NEED

• 500 g lean mince
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup fine bulgur
• 1 egg
• Parsley, handful, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp flour
• salted water
• 2-3 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Fresh parsley.

First mix mince, onion, bulgur, egg and parsley either in a food processor or by hand until it is bind well. Add little salt and some black pepper and work to bind it for couple of minutes more. Then take little pieces  about a size of a hazelnut and roll them to a  round shape. Place them on a plate with flour, so they wont stick. Take a dip pan and boil some water, say half full. Add some salt. When the water boils add the meat balls. Turn the heat to medium and cook the yuvarlama for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure the water totally covers the meat balls. Drain them, set aside to cool. Reserve the water.

Just before serving, heat the butter in a nonstick frying pan, add the meatballs and the garlic and give it a quick stir or a minute or two. Decorate with parsley and serve with rice and salad.

NOTE : You can use the reserved water of the yuvarlama as a sauce over them or you can use it as a base for any soup for the next day.

MEVLANE BOREGI ( Mevlane pasties )

These boreks ( pasties ) are the speciality of City KONYA  where MEVLANE ( see above ) lived.

These are delicious filled with mince meat, but today I used  mince meat  and some  goats cheese, parsley filling  for some of the boreks  which was equally nice.

INGREDIENTS

• half a kg lean mince meat
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 lage onion, chopped finely
• fresh parsley, chopped
• half tsp chili flakes
• salt and pepper
• half a kg flour
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1tsp sugar

First cook the mince with the onion in oil until it is browned nicely. Add the parsley, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tbs water if it starts to stick to the pan. Take off the heat and set aside. This should take  about 10 - 12 minutes.

NOW MAKE THE DOUGH

 

Mix yogurt, oil with sifted flour. Add the egg, sugar and bind it together until you achieve a soft dough. Take a size of a walnut open the dough piece about 10 cm round shape on a floured surface. I do this by hand but a rolling pin can be used if it is easier.

Place 1 tbsp of cooled mince mixture in the middle and fold it over to cover it. Seal the edges well and brush the pasties with egg yolk. Transfer the pasties on a greased baking tray, brush with whisked egg yolk and cook on preheated oven 180C for 15- 20 minutes until they are cooked and golden in colour. Makes 20 -25.

MEAT AND RICE FILLED PEPPERS ( kiymali dolma )

YOU NEED

• 1/2 kg peppers
• 250 g lean steak mince
• 1 -2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup  of rice
• 2 onion
• bunch of fresh parsley
• salt, black pepper
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• some water
• little oil 
• extra tomatoes, sliced,  to use them as lids  for  the peppers.

First wash the peppers and take the stalks out by cutting around them and pushing them inwards with your thumb. Then prepare the filling. Place the mince into a dip dish, add the washed rice, oil. Chop the onions finely and dice the tomatoes, adding the  chopped parsley in to the mince and rice mixture.  Some salt and black pepper to taste and then mix it all together to bind it. 

Stuff each pepper loosely with the mixture( about 1 -2 table spoonful each pepper) making sure to leave room for  rice to expand. if we stuff the peppers too much the rice wont cook through. Cut the tomatoes into small round shapes to cover the peppers like a lid. Then transfer the peppers to a dip pan and add some water to cover up to half way of the peppers. Mix the tomato puree in some water and pour it over the peppers making sure the water covers the peppers at this stage.  Drizzle some oil over the peppers then, put the pan on a high heat and bring it to boil. Then turn the heat to low and let it cook slowly for 25-30 minutes until it is cooked. When cooked, transfer it to a serving plate  and use the juices as sauce for the peppers. Afiyet olsun...

COOK'S NOTE

In Turkey we prefer the small, thin skinned  peppers  for  this dish. The measurements above are for small peppers. If you are using larger, firm flesh capsicums you need to use more stuffing per pepper.

Please see my post for ETLI DOLMA, on 18- Nov- 08. made with CAPSICUM PEPPERS.

RICE COOKED IN FILO PASTRY ( yufkali pilav )

Hi all, this is a rice dish with a difference. Rice with herbs and spices cooked with mince and wrapped in filo pastry, making this dish a centre piece for any occasion.

YOU NEED

• 1 onion, chopped
• 200 g minced meat
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• pinch of cinnamon,
• ground black pepper
• parsley, dill, chopped.
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cup boiled water
• salt
• 1 large or 2 small filo pastry
• oil for brushing the pastry
• 1 egg yolk

METHOD

Fry the mince in oil with the onion until cooked and browned, add the tomatoes, peppers, cinnamon, black pepper, dill and parsley. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the washed rice, stir, then add hot water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cook the rice with the lid on for 10-15 minutes until it is cooked. Set aside.

Grease a tray or Pyrex dish, lay the filo pastry, transfer the rice over the filo pastry and cover the rice with second filo pastry tucking in the edges. Brush the pastry with egg yolk and cook in the pre heated oven on 175C for 20- 30 minutes until it is golden brown.

CHILLI BEEF WITH BEANS (acili kiymali fasulye)

This is simple yet tasty supper dish to be enjoyed with family and friends and it can be prepared in advance. Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 150-200 g minced beef
• 1 glove of garlic, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp kidney or white beans, canned
• Little cold water
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt and hot chilli pepper to garnish.

METHOD

Dice and fry the potatoes in oil for about 10 minutes on a medium heat, until they are golden. Transfer the potatoes to the serving plate. Add the chopped onion to the pan, add more oil if needed and stir fry onion for 5 minutes. Then add the mince, garlic, stir. Mix the mince with a wooden spoon during cooking to break up any lumps in the meat. Cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, drained and washed beans and salt. At this stage add a little water to the pan to prevent it sticking. Stir and cook for further 5 minutes. Bring the potatoes and mix them in the pan with the mince mixture. Turn the heat off. Add the parsley and some flakes of red chilli pepper just before serving. Afiyet olsun.

KOFTE WITH TOMATO SAUCE ( Salcali kofte )

YOU NEED

• 400 g steak mince
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, diced
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• Plain flour to coat the koftes
• Some oil for frying the koftes

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Enough water to cover the koftes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• More parsley for serving

METHOD

First chop the shallot or small onion and the garlic finely. Add to the mince together with cumin powder, salt and pepper. Mix it well by hand or pulse it in a food processor until all mixed together. Then take the pieces of the mixture about a teaspoon at a time and roll each into a small round. Coat each kofte with flour then brown them in the oil in a large frying pan. When the koftes browned transfer them to a plate.

Prepare the sauce in the same frying pan with remaining juices. Add more oil if necessary to fry the onions first, then add the tomato paste some water, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Now add the koftes into the simmering sauce add more water to cover the koftes. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with some more parsley just before serving. Serve with rice and salad. Serves 4.

TURKISH SHISH KOFTE ( sis koftesi )

INGREDIENTS

• 400 g steak mince
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 1-2 slice of bread
• bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt

GRILLING

Onions, peppers and tomatoes, chopped into cubes for grilling.

METHOD

Put mince and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend it until it is all mixed together. Make them into walnut size meat balls and arrange it on a skewer with onions, peppers and tomatoes. Brush them with olive oil and grill or barbecue turning them occasionally until browned nicely.

Serve the koftes on bed of rice or nice with pitta bread. Serves 4.

AUBERGINE FILLED WITH MINCE MEAT (Patlican karniyarik)

Karniyarik is a very popular summer dish in Turkey. We all love aubergines and there are 101 ways of using aubergines for wonderful Turkish recipes. This serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Aubergine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g steak mince
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 100 g fresh tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 50 g peppers, chopped
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 150 ml hot water for BAKING.

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE

• 2 Aubergine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 50 g peppers
• 200 g tomatoes
• 100 g mushrooms
• Parsley, salt and black pepper.

METHOD

Open the aubergine by cutting down the middle. Then shallow fry the aubergines, turning frequently OR put them into the microwave on high for 5 minutes to soften them without the oil. Set them aside.

Prepare the filling by stir frying mince with onions first until it is going brown. Then add tomatoes, garlic peppers and mix it well. Turn the heat down and simmer for 7-10 minutes. The juice from the tomatoes should be enough but if it starts to stick, add little water to make it into a nice sauce. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper at the last minute and turn the heat off.

Spoon the filling into the aubergines. Decorate the top with sliced tomatoes. Place them into the baking tray together with 150 ml hot water. Bake them in the preheated oven 375F, 190C, 170 c fan, gas mark5 for 30-35 minutes.

NOTE

For vegetarian alternative follow the same steps.

MILD STEAK MINCE CURRY ( Kiymali kori )

Here is a mild curry dish for those who are not keen on spicy food. Serves 2

YOU NEED

• 400 g lean steak mince
• 1 tsp olive oil or no oil if low cal
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp frozen mix peppers
• 1 tbsp tomato puree OR
• tin of chopped tomatoes
• 500 ml water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 or 2 tsp of garam masala
• fresh chopped coriander

METHOD

Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the mince, onion, garlic and stir it .Cook until it is brown. Add frozen peppers, tomato puree and water. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to boil then simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Add more water if needed. Add garam masala and cook it further 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander just before serving.

NOTE: 500 ml water if you are using tomato paste. If you are using tin tomatoes you need less water.