Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts

Cabbage with bulgur and spices; Bulgurlu Lahana Kapuska

Cabbage with bulgur, ground meat and spices -Bulgurlu Lahana Kapuska

One of the joys of making stuffed cabbage rolls, Lahana Sarma, is the prospect of enjoying the equally delicious Lahana Kapuska; Cabbage with bulgur, ground meat and spices. Lahana Kapuska, almost a sort of deconstructed cabbage rolls, is not only easy to make but also a great way to use up the left over cabbage parts when making stuffed cabbage rolls.

Kapuska is a popular hearty stew and has many versions in Turkey. The name Kapuska is actually derived from the Russian language for cabbage and has many versions throughout Russia and Eastern Europe (Kapusta for instance is a wonderful cabbage based dish enjoyed in Poland). In Turkey, there are many versions of Kapuska with ground meat, chunks of meat, rice or bulgur. In Southern Turkey, we like to make Kapuska with bulgur, ground meat, onions, flavored with red pepper paste, dried mint and red pepper flakes. It is such a comforting and wholesome meal served with plain yoghurt; very easy too. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the meat.

Kapuska with bulgur, cabbage, red pepper paste and ground meat, Southern Turkish Style

Turkish hot red pepper paste, Biber Salcasi, is a rich, delicious paste of juicy, spicy red peppers and we use it often in Southern Turkish cookery. You can make your own red pepper paste at home with my recipe if you’d like. If you prefer a milder taste, you can replace the red pepper paste with tomato paste in the recipe and sprinkle red pepper flakes to your taste.

This delicious Kapuska recipe, along with many regional and popular Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies are now 25 % Off at this link, delivered worldwide including the US.

I hope you enjoy my Kapuska recipe with bulgur. Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.7 from 6 reviews

Cabbage with bulgur, ground meat,spices; Bulgurlu Lahana Kapuska

Kapuska is a popular hearty stew and has many versions in Turkey. In Southern Turkey, we like to make Kapuska with bulgur, ground meat, onions, flavored with red pepper paste, dried mint and red pepper flakes. It is such a comforting and wholesome meal served with plain yoghurt; very easy too. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the meat.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish style Cabbage Stew with bulgur

Cuisine: Southern Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ head of medium cabbage or left over cabbage leaves from cabbage rolls - 700 gr, washed and coarsely chopped (remove the hard stalk in the middle)
1 onion, finely chopped
225gr/ 8 oz. / 1 cup coarse bulgur
225 gr / 8 oz. ground (minced) beef or lamb
1 tbsp. red pepper paste (optional; you can use additional 1 tbsp. tomato paste if not using red pepper paste)
1 tbsp. double concentrated tomato paste
Juice of ½ lemon
10 ml / 2 tsp. dried mint
5 ml / 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more, if you like spicier)
16 fl. oz. / 2 cups hot water
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Plain yoghurt to serve

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and stir in the ground (minced) meat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
Add the onions and coarsely chopped cabbage to the pan and sauté for another 4 -5 minutes (their volume will shrink as they cook).
Stir in the bulgur, tomato paste, red pepper paste and water. Combine well.
Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and dried mint and season with salt and ground black pepper.
Bring to the boil then cover and cook over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes or until all cooked.
Serve hot, with sprinkles of dried mint and red pepper flakes over top and a dollop of plain yoghurt by the side.
Afiyet Olsun.

Notes

For the vegetarian version of Kapuska, simply omit the meat.

Home Style Iskender Kebab in Tomato Sauce, Pita Bread and Yoghurt

By Ozlem Warren on December 14, 2015 in Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts, Roasts and Kebaps 70

Home Style Iskender Kebab in tomato sauce with pita bread and yoghurt

I have long wanted to recreate the delicious Iskender Kebab, Iskender Kebabi at home; thin slices of lamb or beef in tomato based sauce, served over pide bread with yoghurt and grilled vegetables by the side. It is one of the most delicious kebabs you can have in Turkey and it is a joy to be able to recreate at home.

Traditional doner maker in Istanbul, making chicken (tavuk) doner

Doner maker, donerci, in Istanbul, making chicken (tavuk) doner on a vertical rotisserie

Living abroad, Iskender Kebab is one of the special treats I dearly miss. This delicious kebab is a specialty of Bursa region in Turkey and I remember many foodie trips I made to Bursa to enjoy the genuine Iskender Kebap. Iskender Kebab is made with doner kebab, which requires a vertical rotisserie where layers of thinly sliced lamb, beef, veal – or chicken – stacked together. Traditionally, minced meat is used to stick the slices of the meat.

Home made Iskender Kebab; easier than you think and most delicious.

I don’t have a vertical rotisserie but managed to make a very close by Iskender Kebab at home, greatly enjoyed by family and friends. Thin slices of rib eye steak or lamb or beef tenderloin work very well here. Marinating the meat in onion juice, olive oil and spices is really worth the effort to tenderize the meat and add a lot of flavor. With pide bread, pide ekmek as a base, delicious tomato sauce poured over the meat, grilled tomatoes, peppers and yoghurt by the side, home style Iskender Kebab makes a very special meal to share with family and friends. My thanks goes to the brilliant book Anatolia; Adventures in Turkish Cooking, for the inspiration to have a go at making Iskender Kebab at home.

Home style Iskender Kebab; delicious over pita bread with yoghurt and grilled vegetables aside.

My cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, is packed with over 90 authentic Turkish recipes and stunning photography – Signed hardback copies now 25 % OFF and delivered worldwide including US, at this link (please not thar Iskender Kebab is not included in this book).

I hope you enjoy making Iskender Kebab at home with my recipe, it is easier than you think and most delicious.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.9 from 18 reviews

Home Style Iskender Kebap in Tomato Sauce, Pita Bread and Yoghurt

Iskender Kebab is one of the most popular kebabs at home and a specialty of Bursa region. You can make this delicious Iskender Kebap at home; thin slices of lamb or beef in tomato based sauce, served over pide bread with yoghurt and grilled vegetables by the side. It is easier than you think and most delicious, afiyet olsun!

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish Style Kebabs to make at home

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For the meat marinate:
2 lbs. rib eye steak or lamb or beef tenderloin
2 large onions, grated
45 ml / 3 tbsp. olive oil
10 ml/ 2 tsp. dried oregano
10 ml/ 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce:
30 ml / 2 tbsp. concentrated tomato paste
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. red pepper paste (optional; you can use extra 1 tbsp. tomato paste and red pepper flakes to your taste instead too)
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
16 fl oz. / 2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 green pointy or bell peppers, deseeded and sliced
Thinly sliced pide ekmek or plain pita bread – 6 pieces, to serve
500 gr / 2 cups plain yoghurt to serve

Instructions

Prepare the meat marination a day ahead of time of cooking.
Grate the onions or place them in a food processor and process until liquid. Squeeze all the onion juice into a non-metallic bowl and discard any remaining onion pulp.
Slice the meat thinly (you can ask your butcher to this for you too) and then pound each slice with the back of a wooden spoon (or with a meat tenderizer). We aim to achieve the slices about 5 cm (2”) x 4 cm (1.5”) in size.
Combine the onion juice, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the meat slices and coat each piece with this marination. Cover the bowl with a cling film and marinate overnight in the fridge.
To make the tomato sauce, pour in the olive oil in a sauce pan over the medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste, red pepper paste (if using) and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine well. Add the water then bring to the boil. Then gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
Slice the pide or pita bread in 3 cm x 3 cm (about 1”) squares and place on a tray. Warm in the oven for 5 minutes.
Drizzle a little olive oil on a skillet and cook the meat slices on high heat; for about 2 minutes each side (take care not to overcook). Also sauté the sliced tomatoes and peppers at the other side of the skillet, until they start to charcoal at edges.
Once everything is cooked, plate your Iskender Kebap. Place the warm pide / pita bread slices on each plate. Spread the cooked slices of the meat over the pide bread and pour over the tomato sauce. Place the sautéed tomatoes and peppers at one side and a dollop of plain yoghurt at the other side. Serve immediately. This recipe serves 4 -6 generously.
Afiyet Olsun.

Katmer; Turkish crunchy pancakes with pistachio and clotted cream

By Ozlem Warren on November 30, 2015 in Cakes and Desserts, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 15

This delicious and easy to make Turkish crunchy pancakes with pistachios and clotted cream, Katmer, hails from Gaziantep, one of the must visit gastronomic regions in Turkiye. The crunchy, flaky Katmer is traditionally the first meal eaten by the bride and groom after their wedding night in Gaziantep. It tastes absolutely heavenly with Gaziantep’s world famous pistachios and the thick Turkish clotted cream, kaymak.

My (updated) version of Katmer here uses filo pastry sheets (you can use the fresh, paper thin Turkish yufka pastry sheets for baklava – baklavalik yufka – if you can get too) and thick clotted cream instead of kaymak, as it is not easy to find kaymak abroad (mascarpone cheese also gave good results). The substitution worked well in Katmer and made a lovely, easy and light dessert with with fresh fruit by the side. You can serve Katmer as part of breakfast, dessert or as a tea time treat, perfect with Turkish tea, cay.

I hope you enjoy Katmer, Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews

Katmer; Turkish crunchy pancakes with pistachio and clotted cream

This delicious and easy to make Turkish crunchy pancakes with pistachios and clotted cream, Katmer, hails from Gaziantep, one of the must visit gastronomic regions in Turkey. It is delicious as part of breakfast, tea time treat or a light dessert with fresh fruit aside.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish regional desserts

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

6 sheets of filo pastry, thawed (each sheet about 480 mm x 256 mm) or baklavalik yufka
70g unsalted butter, melted
200g clotted cream, orTurkish kaymak
65 g. unsalted pistachio kernels, finely chopped
3 tbsp white granulated or brown sugar
Small bowl of water with a drizzle of oil, to secure the katmer parcels
1 tbsp finely chopped pistachio kernels to decorate
Fresh berriies to serve aside - optional

Instructions

Take the filo sheets or baklavalik yufka out of the fridge 20 minutes prior using to bring to room temperature. If filo sheets are frozen, it is best to thaw in the fridge overnight and take out 1 hour prior using to bring to room temperature. Alternatively, you can take out the frozen filo sheets 2 hours prior using to bring to room temperature. Place on a clean, dry surface and cover with a damp towel.
Place a filo sheet near you and brush with the melted butter. Place another filo sheet on top and brush again with the melted butter.
Place 4 tbsp of kaymak or clotted cream, as little dabs, in the middle of the sheet, within a 15 cm square frame. Leave a margin of about 5 cm on top and bottom of the long edges of the sheet with no filling. Sprinkle 2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios and 1 tbsp sugar evenly over the cream.
Fold the bottom and top part of the filo sheets over the long edge of the filling; this will secure the filling. Brush this folded pastry with melted butter too.
Now fold the right side of the buttered sheet over the filling, then fold the left side over on top, to make a 15 cm square parcel. Brush the top and sides of the katmer parcel with melted butter. Also dip another brush into the water & oil mixture and brush the edges of the parcel to seal, so that the filling stays secure.
Make 2 more katmer parcels this way, using 2 filo sheets at a time.
Brush a large, non-stick frying pan with melted butter and place the buttered side of katmer on the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, over medium to high heat. While cooking, brush the top side of the katmer with melted butter too. Once the bottom of katmer is golden, flip the katmer over carefully using a large spatula, let the other side cook for 1- ½ minutes over medium to high heat.
Place the cooked katmer on a large serving plate, and cook the remaining katmer parcels this way, brushing both sides during cooking.
Slice each katmer into six pieces, sprinkle finely chopped pistachio over and serve warm, perhaps with fresh berries and tea, cay at the side.