Okra with chicken, vegetables and chickpeas dressed in lemon & mint sauce

Posted by Ozlem on Mar 26, 2012 in Regional Signature Dishes - Rice and Stews | 6 comments

Tags: chicken, chickpeas, dried mint, lemon, okra, red pepper flakes

Turkish cuisine is based on using fresh ingredients; fruit and vegetables are bought daily and seasonality is the key. However, especially in Southern Turkey, we also like to dry vegetables like eggplant (aubergine), bell and pointy peppers and okra when they are fresh, to be used when they’re not in season. In villages, these vegetables are simply attached in a piece of string when fresh (we scoop out the middle part/flesh of aubergines and peppers first; they are wonderful when stuffed with aromatic rice and/or ground meat), and hang...

Tray Kebab, Antakya Style – Tepsi Kebabi

Posted by Ozlem on Apr 27, 2011 in Regional Signature Dishes - Rice and Stews, Uncategorized | 0 comments

My parents are coming over from Istanbul to visit us; I am over the moon (and on a roll for cooking!). For our first night dinner, I thought of making Antakya’s famous tray kebab, which holds special memories for all of us. Having spent many happy childhood holidays at our hometown Antakya (Antioch), I still have vivid memories of watching my grandma and mum preparing this kebab on great big round baking trays. Then with older cousins, we grandchildren used to toddle off to Antakya’s ancient winding roads, to our local bakery for...

Zucchini (Courgettes) Stuffed with ground meat and chickpeas -Nohutlu Sih-el Mahsi

Posted by Ozlem on Mar 22, 2011 in Regional Signature Dishes - Rice and Stews, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This is a wonderful dish from Antakya (Antioch), where my roots are from, and an exciting way to cook zucchini. Traditionally, the locals in Antakya would stuff the zucchini as a whole and they would lightly brown them before cooking with the sauce. I prefer cutting the zucchini in half and lengthways and baking them; healthy, delicious and pretty to have on the plate. You can prepare this dish ahead of time and the leftovers freeze beautifully. Please save the flesh of the zucchini that you scooped out. They are delicious cooked in bulgur...

Mevlubi; Cevirme Pilav -Upside down rice with meat and vegetables

Posted by Ozlem on Jul 19, 2010 in Regional Signature Dishes - Rice and Stews, Uncategorized | 0 comments

I have just passed my driving test and this calls for a celebration; what a relief and freedom! My new British driving license is added to my Turkish and the US driving licenses, hopefully I am now all set on the driving test department : ) I made my mother’s signature dish, Mevlubi to enjoy with friends over the weekend. The recipe comes from Antakya, the Southern part of Turkey, where my roots are from. This special dish makes an appearance in every special occasion on my parent’s table and I have been lucky enough to enjoy it...