Turkish meatballs wrapped in eggplant (aubergine) slices – Patlican Dilimli Uskup Kofte
How wonderful it is to be able to post recipes again; my laptop was broken and I couldn’t post for quite a while, sincere apologies for that. So lovely to share food and recipes again! This is a very special dish that I make when I have a little extra time; it is very delicious and looks lovely, so it’s worth every effort. You can bake ahead of time and the leftovers can be frozen successfully. The succulent slices of eggplant around the meatballs are just heavenly. Served with plain rice and cucumber&yoghurt; dip, it makes a very...
read moreTender chunks of chicken breast wrapped in eggplant (aubergine) slices -Patlıcanlı İslim kebabı
This elegant Ottoman dish is a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth experience of soft eggplant slices, tender chicken pieces and a sturdy tomato sauce, featuring Turks’ beloved eggplant (aubergine), patlican. Traditionally chunks of lamb or beef are used, and I made this version with chicken breast. Marinating the chicken as below really makes the meat tenderer and add a lot of flavor.Wrapping the chicken in strips of lightly fried eggplant may take a little time to prepare but it is absolutely worth it and the result is impressive and very...
read moreThe Base Meat & Vegetable Sauce turned to Chilli
Once you have this meat and vegetable base sauce in hand, you can try different variations. For instance, you can add some red kidney beans to the sauce, and perhaps a little more cumin and red pepper flakes, and turn in to delicious and wholesome chilli sauce. Served over plain rice with plain yoghurt by the side, it makes a complete meal, delicious, easy and ready within minutes. Serves 4Preparation and cooking time: 15-20 minutes 14fl oz/2 cups of the base meat and vegetable sauce400gr/14oz canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained5ml/1...
read moreMy ground meat and vegetables base sauce – Etli, Sebzeli Sos
I love cooking and try to cook from scratch for most of the days. But there are times that I am on the go and have limited time. To be used during these hectic times, I like to cook this sauce in bulk, and put as portions into the freezer. And whenever I am in need, they magically appear and turn into different courses, using a variety of vegetables and beans. This way, I feed the family with wholesome, home cooked meals with minimum of stress. Steamed/cooked courgettes (zucchini), french/runner beans, cauliflower, broccoli, potato, peas all...
read moreCabbage Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice – Lahana Sarmasi (Dolmasi)
Stuffed cabbage leaves are popular in winter time at Turkish homes. This wonderful, healthy and comforting dish is one of my childhood favorites; always brings lots of pleasant memories. I remember us all sitting around the kitchen table preparing the cabbage leaves ready to be stuffed, eagerly waiting for them to be cooked. Once it is cooked, we children all used to camp around the pot, offering (and sometimes helping ourselves) to “quality check” if the stuffed leaves cooked well. We loved eating these treats dipping into plain...
read moreEggplant (aubergine) Pot Stew and Beautiful Winter Frost at Wisley Gardens – Patlicanli Tencere Kebabi
This is one of my favourite stews – or as we call in Turkish, Pot Kebabs, “Tencere Kebabi”. The marriage of sweet, meaty aubergines with the delicately flavoured shallots (and lots of it) is divine; you hardy need the meat to add extra flavour (You may try excluding the meat for a delicious vegetarian course). I love dipping the crusty bread to its juice. Also the lentil/bulgur patties (recipe is under the section of mezes in the blog) goes very well to dip into the yummy juice of the stew. Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally Turkish...
read morePasha’s Meatballs with Garlicky Mashed Potato – Pasa Koftesi
This is a wonderful, comforting dish for the cold days coming up. I remember my mother making it when I was a child and we were all looking forward to it. The meatballs topped with the garlicky potato puree look so pretty, a real winner for everyone, and an impressive dish for entertaining and sharing with friends. I adopted this recipe from Ozcan Ozan’s wonderful Turkish cookery book, “The Sultan’s Kitchen”, a present sent by The Foods of Turkey website for my winning recipe Patlicanli Borek (pastry stuffed with eggplant puree...
read morePatlicanli Musakka – Aubergine (Eggplant) Mousakka
There are several versions of Musakka, featuring our beloved eggplant, patlican, in Turkey. For example in Aegean region we would exclude the béchamel sauce. In some other regions, potatoes, courgettes (zucchini) maybe added on. This is a dish we share with our Greek friends too, and I like mine with a nice creamy béchamel sauce, similar to the Greek version. The joy of this special dish is that you can prepare in advance and give a gentle reheat before serving – and you get to enjoy your company. Once cooked, mousakka freezes...
read moreEtli Taze Fasulye – Green beans with ground meat and vegetables
I spotted some lovely runner beans in the market and made this very popular Turkish dish. I like to add potatoes too, though traditionally we wouldn’t. It is wholesome, healthy, delicious and very easy to make – and you get your 4 vegetables a day in one go! If you can’t find runner beans, you can use French beans too. You can cook this dish ahead of time and gently reheat just before eating. It is a huge help and comfort not to worry about dinners during the week and this recipe certainly helps! Serves 4 – 6Preparation...
read moreSultan’s Delight – lamb ragout with pureed eggplant and béchamel sauce – Hunkar Begendi
This classic lamb dish is served with smoky tasting eggplant with cheese in a béchamel sauce. When Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, visited Topkapi Palace – Istanbul as a guest of the Sultan, she admired the puree so much that she sent her chef to Topkapi Palace to learn the technique. Once you’ve mastered the eggplant puree, it goes well with any grilled meat and chicken. This dish is one of the landmarks of our cuisine and very popular at home. It is great for entertaining; looks very inviting and the marriage of the...
read moreHosgeldiniz
Welcome to Ozlem's Turkish Table (or as we say in Turkish, "Hosgeldiniz").
I was born and bred in Turkey, and lived there for 30 years. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this rich and welcoming culture. Turkish cuisine is healthy, delicious, affordable and most recipes are very easy to make. Here, I would like to show you how you can recreate these wonderful recipes in your own home. Living in England, I also cook other Mediterranean inspired dishes and some wonderful sweet treats. I hope the recipes may inspire you to have a go!Upcoming Turkish Cooking Classes
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