Piyaz is a traditional Turkish meze dish. White beans, onions, spices, and herbs are used to make this dish. It's a popular meal in many countries, with each country tweaking the ingredients to suit their own tastes.

During the latter half of the 1800s, piyaz became one of Turkey's most popular sources of nutrition, and it is still a popular choice in modern cooking.

The piyaz salad of Antalya is one of the city's most famous dishes, and its secret ingredient is beans.
They're not just any butter bean; they're a smaller variety known as candir, named after the province in which they're grown.

Candir is combined with tahini thinned with a little water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and olive oil to make a delicate and flavorful sauce. A soft boiled egg is roughly chopped and mixed through just before serving in the very traditional version.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white beans
  
• 1 cup parsley leaves chopped
  
• 1 red onion (mid-size) sliced
  
• 1 egg (hard boiled) quarter cut
  
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oi
  
• 3 tbsp apple cedar vinega
  
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  
• 2 teaspoon sumac
  
• 1 salt to taste

Instructions

• Soak the white beans overnight (12 hours).
  
• Rinse the white beans well and put them into the salad bowl.
  
• To remove the raw onion strong flavor; place the sliced raw onions on a separate plate and coat the them with a generous pinch of salt, and wait for few minutes. Then rub salt into onions and then rinse, drain and blot dry onions with a paper towel. Then add to the salad bowl.
• Add the chopped parsley leaves.
  
• Add the sumac and mix them all well.
  
• Distribute the salad evenly to the serving plates and place the each hard-boiled egg quarter on top of each salad serving.
  
• Combine apple cedar vinegar, virgin olive oil, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. And then pour it evenly to the salad on each serving plate.
  
• Serve

They say that Ezogelin Soup comes from a very sad story. According to legend, this dish was created by Ezo, a disgruntled wife who was attempting to win over her mother-in-law through her stomach.

She made a fiery soup with red lentils, domato salca (sweet or hot tomato paste), grated fresh tomatoes, and onions, garnished with dried mint and pul biber (chili flakes). There's no proof it worked, but ezogelin (which literally translates to bride Ezo) is still the food of choice for brides-to-be, hailing from a small village near Gaziantep.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 ml.) red lentil
  
• 1/3 cup fine bulgur
  
• 3 full tbsp. rice
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 tbsp. all purpose flour
  
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  
• 2 tbsp. butter
  
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• Dry mint
  
• Ground red pepper
  
• Black pepper
  
• Salt
  
• 1 meat bouillon or meat stock optional

Instructions:

• Add your 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium pot.
  
• Add your 1 finely chopped medium onion, 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic in your pot and sautée until it changes its colour.
  
• Wash and drain your 1 cup red lentil, 1/3 cup fine bulgur, 3 full tbsp. rice, add to your pot and sautée for about 5 minutes.
  
• Pour 5 cups of water (1 liter), 1 meat bouillon or meat stock (optional) to your pot, cover the lid and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes. Take your pot from the heat when the legumes soften.
  
• Take a saucepan. Heat your leftover 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, add your 1 tbsp. all purpose flour and sautée until it changes it’s colour.
  
• Add 2 tbsp. tomato paste to your saucepan and sautée a little more. Pour 1 cup (200 ml.) water to your saucepan and wait until the sauce boils.
  
• Add your dry mint, ground red pepper, black pepper to your sauce and pour your sauce into your legumes pot.
  
• Stir constantly for about 5 minutes while boiling the mixture, add your salt and your Ezogelin Soup is ready to serve.
  
• You can serve your Ezogelin Soup with some lemons.

Turkish cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetable dishes known as zeytinyagli yemegi, or olive oil-cooked foods. Green beans, artichokes, and, of course, eggplants make up the majority of the dishes. Saksuka is one of the most delicious eggplant dishes. Silky purple-skinned green flesh cubes are cooked with zucchinis, garlic, tomatoes, and chilli, the amount of which varies depending on where it's made in Turkey.

Saksuka can be served hot or cold, making it a great versatile side dish or a prepare ahead part of a meze or buffet. And this hearty vegetable ragout is incredibly simple to prepare at home!

The vegetables used vary by region, but the most common are eggplants, zucchini, onions, and peppers. Use a hot pepper to make it spicy, or just use bell peppers to keep it mild.

Ingredients

• 4-5 eggplants
  
• 2 potatoes
  
• 2-3 green chili peppers
  
• 1 onion
  
• 4 cloves of garlic
  
• 4-5 tomatoes
  
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1 tsp. sugar
  
• Salt
  
• Desired spices (black pepper, cumin, ground paprika etc.)
  
• Frying oil

Instructions

• Cut your 4-5 eggplants in cube and rest in salt water for about half an hour.
  
• While resting your eggplants cut your 2 potatoes and fry them.
  
• Cut your 4-5 tomatoes into cube.
  
• Finely chop your 2-3 green chili peppers, 4 cloves of garlic and 1 onion.
  
• Fry your rested eggplants and take excess oil with a napkin.
  
• Heat 2-3 tbsp. vegetable oil in your saucepan. Add your chopped onion, green chili pepper and garlic and sauté until it changes its colour.
• Add your 1 tbsp. tomato paste to your saucepan and sauté a little more.
  
• Add your 4-5 cubed tomatoes, salt, spices and 1 tsp. sugar and stir a little.
  
• Finally add your 1/2 cup water and stir occasionally until your sauce gets thicker.
  
• Combine your fried vegetables and sauces when your sauce is ready.
  
• Serve your shakshuka as cold.

Kisir is a bulgur wheat salad with tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and mint. Various versions exist throughout Turkey, but the Antakya version includes nar eksisi (sour pomegranate molasses) and pul biber (hot red chili flakes). It's hot down south, and they like it that way.

Kisir is one of the favorite Turkish recipes for many because it makes a delicious bulgur salad by combining healthy vegetables with Mediterranean flavors. This recipe for Turkish bulgur salad is great for meal prep, dinner, picnics, and barbecues. It's simple to make, takes no time to prepare, and tastes fantastic! If you enjoy Turkish cuisine, you may already be familiar with Kisir. It's a fine-grind bulgur salad with red pepper paste, lemon, and fresh vegetables. In fact, this is a recipe that our entire family enjoys! When you open the refrigerator at mother's house, one thing is always present: ready-to-eat Kisir for the family.

Ingredients

• Fine-grind bulgur wheat
• Vegetables.
• Parsley.
• Lemon.
• Olive oil.
• Red pepper paste.
• Red pepper flakes.

Instructions

• Prepare the bulgur wheat. Just boil some water, add the bulgur wheat and water to a bowl, cover the bowl with a dish cloth and let the bulgur wheat sit.
  
• Prepare the vegetables. Simply wash and chop the vegetables and parsley. Juice the lemon.
  
• Make the base for the salad. First, fluff the bulgur wheat with a fork. Then, add the red pepper paste, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to the now cooked bulgur wheat and mix everything until well combined.
  
• Mix in the remaining ingredients. Add the vegetables, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil to the bulgur wheat. Mix everything. Add more red pepper flakes or salt and pepper if needed.

Mercimek kofte, also known as belluh in Diyarbakir, is a vegetarian delight. Mercimek köftesi is one of Turkish cuisine's most popular mezze. It's primarily made with red lentils and bulgur, and it's a vegan dish. They come in handy bite-sized servings and are made with red lentils, fine bulgur, salt, finely chopped onion, scallions, tomato, aci biber salca (hot red pepper paste), and crushed cilantro.

Simply place one of these flavorful nuggets on a lettuce leaf, squeeze some lemon juice on top, roll it up, and eat. Bulgur and lentils are the two most important ingredients in mercimek köftesi. Mercimek is a Turkish word that means lentils. The plural form of the word köfte is köftesi.

Ingredients

• 175 g (200 ml) dry red lentils
  
• 400 ml water
  
• 80 g fine bulgur (köftelik bulgur)
  
• 3 Tbsp olive oil (I use a mild extra virgin)
  
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
  
• 50 g tomato paste
  
• 25 g Turkish red pepper paste (acı biber salçası)
  
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  
• 1/2 small red onion, very finely chopped
  
• 3 medium spring onions, very finely chopped
  
• 25 g leaves of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  salt and pepper
  
  

Instructions

• Add the lentils and water to a pot. Bring to a boil. Put a lid on it, turn the heat down to low/medium and leave to simmer until the lentils are completely falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Take off the heat, add the bulgur and mix well. Put the lid back on and leave to cool.
  
• Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft, but not coloured, 8-10 minutes. Stir regularly to ensure it doesn't catch. Add the tomato paste, red pepper paste and cumin. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Leave to cool.
  
• Once everything has cooled, mix all the ingredients (save the lemon and salad leaves) well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Using your hands is easiest. The mixture should be very smooth. If it's looking a little dry, adjust with some more extra virgin olive oil.
  
• Shape the mixture into lentil meatballs. I like to press my fingers against the palm of the same hand to get a nice, wavy pattern – but any shape will do. Dip your hand in a little water or oil every now and again to avoid it sticking to your skin.
  
• Serve with lemon wedges and crispy green salad leaves.

Rice is cooked with tomatoes, a bunch of parsley, onion, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, black pepper, salt, and water in the Isparta version of yaprak dolma. A spoonful of the mixture is spooned onto a vine leaf, folded in half, and rolled into neat little cylinders by hand.

While most street markets sell leaves, the best ones come from a neighbor's tree, which are usually picked at midnight. Yaprak dolma is a type of Turkish Aegean cuisine that includes a pinch of cinnamon as a nod to the Rum people, who are Greeks who were born in Turkey.

Ingredients

• Grape leaves
• Rice
• Onions
• Currants
• Olive Oil
• Tomato paste
• Spices
• Herbs

Instructions

• Make The Filling: To make this easy filling, all you have to do is combine the ingredients in a large bowl, leaving out the grape leaves, ¼ cup olive oil and water.
  
• Prepare the Grape Leaves: If you have grape leaves in brine, you don’t need to prepare them in any way. Simply wash them with water to remove the excessive salt. If you are using fresh grape leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them into ice-cold water. Once completely cooled, drain them and set them aside until needed. Once the leaves have been washed or cooked, cut off the stems as close to the leaf as possible
• Stuff The Vine Leaves: Cut off the stems of the leaves. Place a leaf on a cutting board or on a plate, shiny side down. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice filling near the end of the leaf, cover that filling with the top edges.Fold the side edges to the center and roll it up. Arrange the stuffed leaves in rows without leaving any space. Pour water and olive oil over the rolls. Place a heat-proof plate on the top to help the dolmas keep stable when cooking. Let them cook covered over the lowest heat for 45 minutes, or until the rice has completely cooked inside the rolls. Once cooked, remove them from the pot and allow them to cool before serving.

Mustafa Efendi, a Turkish immigrant from Bulgaria who arrived in negöl in the late 19th century, invented the most famous Turkish meatball dish. Breadcrumbs and a mixture of ground beef or lamb are used to make negöl köfte, which are only seasoned with onions.

They're usually grilled and served as a main course. Although these delectable meatballs can now be found all over the country, the best are said to be made in negöl.

In Turkish cuisine, meatballs are much more than just meat balls. Each style brings its own slice of history to the table. One of the most well-known is Mustafa Efendi's Inegol kofte. He was born in Bulgaria and moved to Inegol in northwest Turkey in the nineteenth century.

In contrast to other Turkish kofte, this recipe only calls for ground beef or lamb and breadcrumbs, which are seasoned with onions.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo minced beef from brisket (or any beef mince with %30 fat)
  
• 125 g breadcrumbs
  
• 125 ml water
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 2 medium onions (grated)

Instructions

• Mix the mince with salt, water and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and knead for about 6-7 minutes until firm.
  
• Cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for 24 hours.
  
• After 24 hours, mix the lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl then add it to the mince.
  
• Add the grated onions as well and mix them all until nicely combined.
  
• Take walnut size pieces from the mixture and turn them into a finger shape. Alternatively, shape them like small burger patties if you want to cook them on the BBQ.
  
• Repeat until all the mixture is finished. You should end up with around 30-32 koftes. Place them on a plate, cover and put back in the fridge for another 2-3 hours.
  
• Grill the koftes on the BBQ or oven-grill or shallow fry on a skillet for about 5 to 6 minutes until they become golden brown.

Bursa, in northwest Turkey, is known for three things: silk, the Uludag ski fields, and a type of kebab known as Iskender. According to legend, this dish was first prepared for workers in the city's Kayhan Bazaar in 1867 by a gentleman with the same name.

The king of Turkish kebabs is the'skender Kebab.' If you like meat, you're probably aware that Turkish cuisine is known for its grilled meats and kebab dishes. Skender Kebab is one of Turkish cuisine's most popular meat dishes, and it is also very popular around the world. Skender Kebab is a method of serving vertically roasted lamb meat slices on a thin crust 'Pide' bread with tomato sauce, melted sheep butter, and yogurt.

Thin slices of doner meat are smothered in freshly made tomato sauce, baptized with a dash of sizzling melted butter, and served with tangy yoghurt, grilled tomato, and green peppers.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Lamb or Rib eye steak
  
• 2 onions grated
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• 3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 3 teaspoon oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp melted sizzling butter for topping
• 4 pide bread (pita bread) or cube bread square cut by 2 cm x 2 cm
  
• 2 cups plain yogurt

Instructions

• Slice the meat thinly and then pound each slice with the flat meat tenderizer. The aim is to make the meat slice about 6 cm x 5 cm in size.
• Mix the grated onion, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the meat slices and coat each piece with this mix and then cover the bowl and marinate overnight in the fridge.
• Put 2 tablespoon of olive oil into saucepan and then add the tomato paste, salt and black pepper and combine them well. Add the water then bring the sauce to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Slice the pide bread or cube bread into 2 cm x 2 cm squares and place them into the oven tray and then warm them in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Pour olive oil to the skillet and cook the marinated meat slices on high heat; for about 3 minutes each side. While the meats are cooking, add a big knob of butter to the skillet to make topping. Fry the butter until sizzling.
• Place the warm square cut Pide Bread / Cube Bread pieces to the plates evenly.
• After the meats cooked; place the meats on top of the warm Pide Bread / Cube Bread pieces evenly and then pour over the tomato sauce.
• After the meats cooked; place the meats on top of the warm Pide Bread / Cube Bread pieces evenly and then pour over the tomato sauce.
• Serve immediately with plain yogurt.

The people of Erzurum are serious about their meat. They're willing to wait over 12 hours for a sliver of hot and delicious lamb cag kebab. Cag Kebab is yet another delectable Turkish kebab variety. It comes from the Turkish city of Erzurum, which is in the heart of Turkey's Eastern Anatolia region. Cag Kebab may appear similar to Döner Kebab at first glance, but it differs in terms of preparation and flavor.

Cag Kebab is a dish made with boneless lamb ribs and boneless leg of lamb meat. Döner Kebab, on the other hand, is made with a combination of boneless veal, lamb, and tail fat. Cag Kebab is cooked on a horizontal rotisserie over a wood fire, whereas Döner Kebab is cooked on a specially designed electric vertical rotisserie.

The meat is first marinated for half a day with a mixture of onions, salt, and black pepper. The meat is then threaded onto a long skewer and cooked over a wood fire horizontally. Cag kebab is also served wrapped in flat lavas bread with slices of tomato, white onion, and long thin green peppers called sivri, which are delicious on their own.

Ingredients

• 600 grams boneless and lean lamb
  
• 1 small nectarine
  
• 1 tablespoon of salt
  
• 2 tablespoons of black pepper
  
• 12 wooden skewers

Instructions

• Start the preparations a day before to make cag kebab at home.
  
• Beat the meat in a butcher straight and salt it.
  
• Grate the onion and mix it with black pepper.
  
• Put the meat in a mixture of black pepper onion and cover it with stretch film and put it in the fridge to rest.
• Slice the meat that is rested overnight as it rotates and cut it into skewers.
  
• Place the skewers on the tray.
  
• Set the oven to 250 degrees and heat it.
  
• Place the tray near the top grill of the oven.
  
• After cooking the meat for half an hour, remove the tray from the oven and turn the skewers upside down.
  
• Put it back in the oven and cook for another half an hour.
  
• Your homemade cag kebab is ready. You can serve it with grilled tomatoes and peppers.

In the Black Sea regions of Turkey, hamsi is almost idolized, and the inventiveness of some of the hamsi foodie creations – even after all these years living here, we still see innovations and classic dishes that inspire us to get in the kitchen.

Hamsi, also known as European anchovy, is a common ingredient in Turkish Black Sea cuisine. The slender fishes are prepared with rice in the city of Rize to make Hamsili Pilav. This dish is made with a stock made with fried onions, butter, peanuts, Turkish allspice, and raisins, and fresh parsley and dill. After that, filleted anchovies are arranged over the rice, and the whole thing is baked.

Ingredients

• 1,2 kg. 2,65 lb. anchovies, fillet
  
• Corn flour
  
• Salt
  
• 1 1/2 cup baldo rice
  
• 1 1/2 cup hot water
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 tbsp. butter
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbsp. pine nut
  
• 2 tbsp. black currant
  
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  
• 1/2 tbsp. allspice
  
• 1 tsp. sugar
  
• Salt
  
• 1/4 cup parsley
  
• 1 tbsp. dill

Instructions

• fresh anchovies need to be cleaned out the heads and fishbones. Wash and drain your anchovies. If you are using instant fillets, just wash and drain.
• Rest your 1 1/2 cup baldo rice in hot water for 30 minutes and strain.
  
• Heat your 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and in a heavy bottom pan or dutch oven. Add your finely chopped onion, 2 tbsp. pine nuts and saute until your pine nuts turn pink.
  
• Add your 1 1/2 cup of baldo rice and saute 3-4 minutes more.
  
• Add 2 tbsp. black currant, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tbsp. allspice, 1 tsp. sugar, salt. Pour your 1 1/2 cup of hot water, stir gently until combined and cover your pot with a lit.
  
• When your pilaf starts to boil, turn the heat to slow and cook your pilaf until the water vaporize.
  
• Turn the heat of, add your 1/4 cup of parsley, 1 tbsp. dill and stir gently until combined.
• Rest your pilav while you are preparing the anchoives.