CRUNCHY VEGETABLES WITH CHICK PEAS AND SESAME SEEDS(Susamli karisik sebze)

Hi all, this is great healthy  vegetarian , low fat dish which is easy to make and feel good food for the cold evenings. It serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chopped curly kale
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, diced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 cup drained chick peas
• pinch of turmeric, coriander and chili powder
• dash of soy sauce
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds for sprinkling.

1) Wash all the vegetables in vinegar water to get rid of the pesticides. Chopped them roughly. 

2) Place curly kale, red pepper, onion,and garlic in a shallow frying pan together with water. Bring it to boil, stirring. Turn the heat down and stem the vegetables for 5 minutes.

3) Add tomato puree, chick peas, and the spices. Stir. Cook for further 2-3 minutes.  

4) Turn the heat off. Add sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

5) Transfer it to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds just before serving.

VEGETARIAN ICLI KOFTE ( Veceteryan icli kofte )

This type of stuffed kofte, traditionally made with minced meat but some friends requested the vegetarian version. It was tasty and I enjoyed making these with different vegetarian fillings. Makes 15- 16 icli koftes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, 
• 4 heaped tbsp fine bulgur ( bulgar wheat )
• 4 heaped tbsp coarse semolina
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• pinch of chili and cumin powder ( optional )
• Salt and pepper to taste.

FILLING VARIATIONS

1) Chick peas, cooked with onion, tomatoes, herbs and spices

2) Beans with mix veg

3) Cheese and onion

4) Lentils cooked with leeks, ginger, chili and garlic

5) Boiled and grated potato mixed with spring onion, spinach and grated cheese.

6) Chopped nuts and mashed chick peas.

METHOD

1) Place  roughly chopped onion in a food processor, pulse it couple of times. Add bulgur, semolina, egg, tomato puree, salt and spices. Pulse it several times until you achieve a  smooth paste. Bring it out and make 16 walnut size balls.

2) Take each piece and make a hole  in the middle with your thumb. Then turning the index finger inside the bulgur balls to make thin holes. Wet your fingers while doing so. Make the holes as thin as possible.

3) Fill the holes with vegetarian filling of your chose about 1 tsp in  each ball and close them to make oval or round shapes. At this stage if it breaks, just mend it and close it with little water and cover the holes.

4) Bring 6 -7 glasses of  water to boil, add some salt. Drop 6-8 koftes at a time so they wont overlap. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Take them out carefully with perforated spoon and let them cool on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.

5) Shallow fry them in hot oil, drain them on kitchen paper  and serve them with sweet and spicy sauce.

MERCIMEKLI VE NOHUTLU PILAV ( PILAV WITH LENTILS AND CHICK PEAS )

HI ALL,  this again a very tasty complete vegetarian meal which is very quick to make. Hope you enjoy...

YOU NEED

• 1 onion, chopped,
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp pepper or tomato paste( puree)
• 1 clove of garlic ( optional )
• 1 tsp chili pepper (optional )
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped peppers
• 1/2 a cup bulgur wheat or rice
• 1 cup cooked chick peas
• 3- 4 cups hot water.
• fresh or dried herbs of your choose
• salt and black pepper

METHOD

First prepare all the vegetables and chop them finely. Wash the lentils,  rice, chick peas and set aside. Fry the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes and peppers. Cook for couple of minutes. Add the lentils, rice and chick peas together with herbs, water, salt and chili pepper. Use 3 cups of water first then add the rest of the water as it cooks. Add more or less to suit your taste. I like to serve this dish  with the constancy like risotto or even more mushier but you can cook and serve it more like a rice dish if you like by using  less water.

Add more herbs and ground black pepper just before serving.

SAVOURY RICE WITH CHICKEN AND MEATBALLS(Tavuk ve kofteli pilav )

This savoury rice dish is a all in one meal, great for parties and family get together.

YOU NEED

• 200g  mince
• 1 small onion, chopped
• salt , black pepper
• oil for frying
• 1 or 2 chicken breast, diced
• 1 aubergine, cut into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 cup rice, washed
• 2-3 cups of chicken stock or hot water
• 1 cup chick peas
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp parsley and dill.

METHOD

 

First make the meatballs by  mixing the onion, mince, salt and pepper in a food processor. Shape them into little round shapes and fry them in oil on a medium heat until they are brown. Drain and set aside. Then add the chicken pieces to the same pan and sallow fry until golden. Add more oil if necessary.

When the chicken pieces are cooked add the onion,  garlic, aubergine, red pepper  and cook all together for 5-7 minutes. Then add the rice, water, chick peas, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Return the meat balls to the pan. Stir and mix well with the rest of the ingredients. Bring it to boil, then turn the heat to low and cook the rice with the lid on for 10-15 minutes or until all the stock is absorbed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and dill just before serving.

This dish is nice if it is mushy in consistency like risotto or paella. Enjoy...