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Ezo Gelin Corba; Turkish Spicy Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup

By Ozlem Warren on September 7, 2010 in Soups 71

Ezo Gelin Corbasi; Spicy Turkish lentil & bulgur soup with dried mint and red pepper flakes; wholesome and delicious

Soups have a special place in Turkish cuisine and the meals mostly start with them. In Anatolia, it is very common to have soup to start the day, especially in winter. This spicy lentil soup is one of my favorites; rich in fiber and protein, very delicious and easy to make. It is also a great example of how we add flavor to our dishes thru spices. Named after the bride “Ezo” who managed to impress her in-laws with this heartwarming soup, this soup is so delicious and simple to make that you will want to make it all the time! It also freezes very well, so I recommend to make a big batch and freeze some for a heart and soul warming lunch or supper.

Note: Red pepper paste, biber salcasi, adds a wonderful, rich flavour to the soup. You can make your own red pepper paste, biber salcasi, with my recipe here. If you prefer not to use red pepper paste, you can increase the amount of tomato paste to 5 tablespoons and the pul biber or red pepper flakes to 3 teaspoons or even more, depending on how spicy you would like.

Signed copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table book, available to order at this link

Ezo Gelin Corba and many other hearty soups and authentic, wholesome Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, Signed copies are now 20 % OFF at this link , for a limited time and delivered worldwide including the US and Canada.

Serves 6
Preparation time – 15 minutes Cooking time – 40 minutes

290 gr/1 cup split red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
45 ml / 3 tablespoons coarse bulgur wheat, rinsed and drained
1.75 litres / 7 1/2 cups water
60 ml / 4 tablespoons tomato paste

15ml/ 1 tablespoon Turkish hot red pepper paste, biber salcasi
30ml /2 tablespoons olive oil

15ml/1 tablespoon dried mint

Juice of 1 lemon

To Serve:
10 ml / 2 tsp dried mint
5 ml / 1 tsp pul biber, red pepper flakes / paprika flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges to serve

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, medium-sized pot and stir in the onions. Cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often, this will soften the onions. Add the lentils and the water. Cover and bring the pot to the boil. Cook over a medium to low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the bulgur, tomato paste, red pepper paste and dried mint, season with salt and ground black pepper. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, until the bulgur is cooked. Add some more water if the soup appears to be too thick. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well.

To serve, pour 2 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and stir in the dried mint and pul biber / red pepper flakes. Stir and gently cook over a low heat for about 40 seconds. Pour in this sauce into the soup and combine well.

Serve hot with lemon wedges by the side.

Ezo Gelin Corba; Spicy lentil and bulgur soup; image from my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table by Sian Irvine Photography

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish flat breads with ground lamb and vegetarian filling – Etli ve Sebzeli Pide

By Ozlem Warren on September 1, 2010 in Savory Pastries, Turkish Street Food 4

Turkish flatbreads with ground meat and vegetarian filling; Kiymali ve Sebzeli Pide

I couldn’t resist making Turkish flat breads with ground meat and vegetarian fillings, after enjoying them so much at Kalkan. I also discovered a brilliant new cookery book, “Cooking New Istanbul Style” by Refika (www.refikaninmutfagi.com). Refika wonderfully experiments new recipes using Turkish ingredients, a really delightful book, where she makes wonderful versions of pides too.

You can also experiment with different vegetables and toppings on your flat bread. Dried cured meats like Turkish pastrami, juicy mushrooms, all go very well. A lovely, crowd pleasing food, Afiyet Olsun!

Serves 4 – 6
Preparation time – 45 minutes (add 1 hour rest for dough if you choose to make it)
Cooking time – 20 minutes

Dough ingredients:
5 ml/ 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
150 ml/ 2/3 cup lukewarm water
350 gr/3 cups strong white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mild olive oil

Topping ingredients (for ground lamb filling):
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
225 gr / 8 oz ground lean lamb
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika flakes
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Making the dough:
Place the sugar and the yeast in a small bowl with half the lukewarm water. Set aside for about 15 minutes until frothy.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add the creamed yeast and the rest of the lukewarm water. Using your hand, draw in the flour and work with the mixture to dough, adding more water if necessary.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Drip a few drops of olive oil into the base of the bowl and roll the dough in it. This will help the dough not to dry up. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preparing the topping with ground lamb:
Lightly soften the onions in the butter and olive oil. Add the chopped tomato and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Add salt to taste and set aside to cool. Put the meat in a bowl and add the tomato paste, parsley, paprika flakes, lemon juice, cooked onions and tomato. Season with salt and pepper and work this mixture into a paste with your hands. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

Once ready, punch down the risen dough, knead it on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin flat round, stretching the dough with your hands as you roll. Oil the baking sheets and place the dough rounds on them and spread a thin layer of the meat mixture covering the edges too. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the meat is nicely cooked.

Vegetarian topping option 1) Crushed garlic, tomato, cheese and red pepper topping:
1 medium tomato, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed with salt
1 red bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced
Drizzle of olive oil
225 gr/ 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine the tomato, garlic and bell peppers in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and mix well. Place the stretched dough on a greased tray and spread the mixture on the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is nicely cooked.

Vegetarian topping option -2) Spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes and mozzarella topping:
4 garlic cloves, crushed with salt
225 gr / 8 oz spinach leaves, washed
5 ml/ 1 teaspoon red pepper paste or red pepper flakes
225 gr / 8 oz shredded mozzarella
Drizzle of olive oil

In a large bowl, mix the garlic, salt, spinach leaves and red pepper flakes (or the red pepper paste, drizzle a little olive oil over. Place the stretched dough on a greased tray and spread the mixture on the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is nicely cooked.

Serve pides immediately with lemon wedges and a leafy salad by the side.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Kalkan – A Gem in Southwest coast of Turkey

By Ozlem Warren on August 26, 2010 in Fascinating Turkey, Uncategorised 3

It is raining in London (well, in Surrey to be more correct) and remembering Kalkan brought sunshine to my day, hope it helps to yours too! My husband and I sneaked off to Kalkan, one of our favorite beaches in southwest coast of Turkey (thanks to my sister, family, and mum and dad for all the help!). It used to be a quite, quaint fisherman’s village about 20 years ago or so. Now, though still quaint, it is packed with tourists, which, nice to see, appreciate and look after Kalkan. We love staying at the EaglesNest Apartments (now smartly refurbished, they are on offer for sale too)on the hill and use chic Villa Mahal’s beach. Mahal’s staff wears a T-shirt which says “181 steps to heaven” and that’s true! Go down 181 steps amongst gorgeous olive trees, pine trees over looking turquise Med, you feel like you are in Heaven!