Turkish Festive Dishes

Yufka Mantısı – Easy mantı rolls with filo sheets

By Ozlem Warren on January 13, 2026 in Turkish cookery book, Turkish Festive Dishes, Uncategorised 2

This is a scrumptious and easy version of mantı, using filo sheets; a popular one in my homeland in Türkiye, made with yufka sheets. I like to use minced/ground lamb in the filling and loads of grated onions for flavour and moisture. As the filling is much more substantial than in traditional mantı, I add a bit of bread crumbs to give it a kofte like soft texture and avoid it to be dry (traditional mantı wouldn’t have breadcrumbs in filling). It makes a gorgeous, melt in the mouth moist filling and makes a lovely contrast to the crispy filo when baked. With garlic yoghurt and spiced oil, it is an easy, scrumptious and impressive mantı rolls feast.

Alternative fillings: You could use ground beef; please make sure it has 20% fat content so it won’t be dry. For vegetarian filling, you can use loads of sauteed onions, combined with green lentils, herbs, mashed potatoes, for instance, with a good seasoning. Make ahead: You can bake the first stage of this dish a day ahead and keep in the fridge. Add the sauce and cook further, then serve with the garlic yoghurt and spiced oil just before eating.

Tray bake Mantı with spiced chickpeas, Nohutlu Tepsi Mantı from SEBZE cookbook. Image credit Sam A Harris

I hope you enjoy this delicious, easy mantı rolls feast, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem x

5.0 from 1 reviews

Yufka Mantısı – Easy mantı rolls with filo sheets

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Manti rolls with filo sheets

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

5 filo sheets, thawed (each 480mm x 255 mm)
450g/1lb minced/ground lamb
2 medium onions, grated
55g/2oz breadcrumbs
3tbsp olive oil
small bowl of water with a drizzle of oil for brushing
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped (reserve 1 tbsp for decorating)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp Turkish pepper paste
1tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
155ml/ 5 ½ oz water
For the garlic yoghurt:
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed with salt and finely chopped
400g/14oz full fat yoghurt
For the spiced oil:
2tbsp olive oil
30g/1lb butter
1tsp pul biber
2tsp dried mint

Instructions

Grease the base and sides of 20cm diameter round baking dish with 6 cm height with 1tbsp olive oil. Preheat fan oven to 180C/200C/400F.
Combine the grated onions, breadcrumbs, parsley, 1 tsp salt and generous grind of black pepper in a large bowl. Knead with your hands to combine well, then stir in the minced meat and knead to combine thoroughly. Divide the filling into 5 equal portions (about 80g/2.8oz each).
Place the filo sheets on a clean, dry surface and cover with damp towel. Take one sheet out and place on a dry surface, the long edge nearest to you. Place ⅕ of the filling in a line, then roll up into a log; dip pastry brush into the water& oil mixture and brush the edge of the pastry, complete the log to seal. Make 4 more logs this way, then slice the logs into 5cm rolls.
Place the rolls up right, side by side, quite tightly, until all placed in the dish. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, the rolls will crisp up nicely round the edges.
Take the yoghurt out of the fridge, stir in the garlic, season and combine well. Set a side to bring to room temperature.
While the mantı rolls are baking, also make the sauce. Combine the olive oil, pepper paste and tomato paste in a small pan over a medium heat and pour in the water. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes, turn the heat off.
After 30 minutes, take out the dish from the oven and gently pour the sauce all over the crispy rolls. Return the dish to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Use the same small pan to make the spiced oil. Stir in the olive oil and butter and melt, warm up over medium/low heat. Then stir in dried mint and pul biber and gently infuse for 30 seconds.
Serve mantı rolls hot, with blobs of garlic yoghurt, a drizzle of spiced oil and sprinkle of chopped parsley over immediately.

Turkish style roast chicken with rice and currants stuffing – Ic Pilavli Firin Tavuk

By Ozlem Warren on December 14, 2021 in Pilafs and Rice, Roasts and Kebaps, Salads, Turkish Festive Dishes 0

Towards to end of the roasting, we traditionally glaze the chicken with a mixture of tomato paste, yoghurt and olive oil; this gives a lovely colour and taste to the chicken. The rice that we use to stuff the chicken is partially cooked – you can prep this ahead of time.

I hope you enjoy my mother’s roast chicken recipe, firin tavuk, which would appear at special family meals as well as at New Year’s Eve on our table. If you wish, you can stuff your turkey with this fragrant rice this way too. Muhammara, my mother’s walnut and red pepper paste dip, as well as zingy Shepherd’s Salad always accompanied our roast, if you like to include at your festive table – both recipes are included at my cookery table, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, as well as the Ic Pilav, Herby rice with pine nuts, currants, with addition of lamb liver (just omit lamb liver for a vegetarian option). My baked beetroot salad with pomegranate molasses also makes a lovely accompaniment to this festive dish. If you live in the USA, Canada or Mexico, there is now lower shipping rates for hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table at this link.

My very best wishes to you all for the festive season, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish style roast chicken with rice and currants stuffing – Ic Pilavli Firin Tavuk

My dear belated dad Orhan, absolutely loved his roast chicken, Firin Tavuk, with our traditional rice with currants (kus uzumu) stuffing, Ic Pilav. I have recreated this special recipe recently, and we greatly enjoyed it with friends. I used Jamie Oliver’s roast chicken recipe as a base and adapted to my Turkish style roast with our additions. Towards to end of the roasting, we traditionally glaze the chicken with a mixture of tomato paste, yoghurt and olive oil; this gives a lovely colour and taste to the chicken. The rice that we use to stuff the chicken is partially cooked – you can prep this ahead of time.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish style roast chicken

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the roast chicken:
1.9kg/4lb 5oz free range chicken
650g/1lb 6oz carrots
2 medium onions
1 bulb of garlic
1 lemon, cut in half
60ml/4tbsp olive oil
Handful of sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary
For the 2nd stage chicken marinade:
10ml/2tsp double concentrated tomato paste
15ml/1tbsp whole milk yoghurt
15ml/1tbsp olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For the Rice pilaf with chestnuts, pine nuts and currants:
170g/6oz cooked chestnuts, chopped into small bite size pieces
30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
15ml/1 tablespoon butter
30ml/2 tablespoons currants
45ml/3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 medium onion, finely chopped
10ml/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (add a little more if you like cinnamon)
350g/12oz long grain rice, rinsed and drained
750ml/1¼ pints hot water (500ml hot water for partial cooking first)
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Wedges of lemon to serve
For the roast potatoes:
1.5kg/3lb 5oz Maris Piper potatoes
45ml/3tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

First prepare your fragrant rice. We will be partially cooking the rice to stuff into the chicken. Soak the currants in warm water for about 15 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
Heat the butter and the olive oil in a heavy, medium size pan over a medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the currants, cinnamon and the rinsed rice, combine well for a minute. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Pour in the 500ml hot water and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer gently for 7- 8 minutes or until all the liquid have been absorbed. Our partially cooked rice with currants is ready. You can make your partially cooked rice a day ahead of time and keep covered in the fridge.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and bring to the room temperature. Preheat the fan oven to 200C/400F.
Wash and coarsely chop the vegetables, there is no need to peel the carrots. Break the garlic bulb into cloves and leave them unpeeled. Spread the prepared vegetables on a large bowl, drizzle 30ml/2tbsp olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Rub and combine all with the vegetables. Leave this bowl aside – to be combined with the chicken later.
Place the chicken on a large roasting tray. Drizzle the chicken with 30ml/2tbsp olive oil and season well with sea salt and ground black pepper and rub all round the bird.
Place half of the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity. Then carefully spoon 270g/9oz of partially cooked rice inside the chicken’s cavity. Take care not to over stuff, so the rice won’t get mushy. Insert the other half of the lemon to close chicken’s cavity. Roast for 1 hour at preheated fan oven at 200C/400F.
Now is the time to prepare your roast potatoes, if you plan to have them. Make sure to get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Peel the potatoes and quarter the large ones and cut the medium ones in half, so they are all roughly even size. Place them on a large pot, sprinkle over salt. Cover with hot water and par boil for 7 -8 minutes. Then drain in a colander and leave to steal dry for 2 -3 minutes.
After 1 hour of roasting, take the chicken out of the oven and spread your prepared vegetables around the chicken to roast together another 30 minutes.
Place the potatoes into a large tray, drizzle with 45ml/3tbsp olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Coat and combine well and roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, timing with the roast chicken.
Now prepare your Turkish style marinade to coat the chicken, for the 2nd stage of marinade; in a small bowl, combine 2 tsp tomato paste, 1tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp whole milk yoghurt, season with sea salt and black pepper, combine well. After the 1 hour 30 minutes of chicken being roasted, take the chicken tray out and brush this marinade all over the chicken. Return the chicken tray back to the oven for a further 15 minutes of roasting; by the end of this period, the vegetables around the chicken should be nicely roasted and the marinate will give a lovely colour to the chicken, as well as taste. When the chicken is cooked (to check, cut into the chicken; if the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked) take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 10 minutes or so. Cover the chicken and roasted vegetables with foil to keep warm.
While the chicken is in the oven for the final stage, finish your partially cooked festive rice. On a medium to large pot, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and stir in the pine nuts; stir and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat - as they begin to turn golden, stir in the chopped chestnuts and partially cooked rice and combine well. Pour in the remaining 250ml / 9fl oz hot water over, season with salt and black pepper, combine well. Then lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer gently 5-6 minutes or until all the liquid have been absorbed. Turn off the heat; cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and place the lid back on tightly. Leave to steam for 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the chopped parsley and dill and combine gently.
Place your festive Ic Pilav on a large serving plate, and your roast potatoes on another serving place. Serve your Turkish style roast, Firin Tavuk, with vegetables around. Muhammara, my mother’s walnut and red pepper paste dip, as well as zingy Shepherd Salad always accompanied our roast, if you like to include at your festive table too.

Baklava, Revani, Kunefe and More; Desserts for the End of Ramadan

By Ozlem Warren on May 20, 2020 in Cakes and Desserts, Turkish Festive Dishes 2

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day Ramazan Bayrami or Seker Bayrami in Turkey (also named Eid al-Fitr in the Islamic World, Festival of Fast-Breaking), starting 24 May 2020.

The Blue Mosque, Istanbul; a special place to visit during and end of Ramadan

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement, charity, as well as increased devotion and worship. Ramadan is also a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community, share what you have and visit one another. With the Covid 19, unfortunately visiting one another will be a virtual one for most of us; still the food we prepare and share with friends, neighbours even by the door and give back to charities will be special.

Baklava, is one of the ultimate treats of end of Ramadan gatherings

Below are some of the special desserts being prepared for Ramazan Bayrami in our family. I hope they may inspire to recreate for your family too.

Desserts spread from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book; image credit: Sian Irvine Food Photography

Desserts play an important role in Turkish culture and are the center piece at religious festivals, weddings and family celebrations. My cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland is packed with delicious dessert recipes from Baklava to Kadayifi, fruit based desserts to Turkish Delight – Lokum and more. Signed copies now 30 % OFF at this link, and delivered worldwide including US.

Ramazan Bayraminiz kutlu olsun, Eid Mubarak to all celebrating and best wishes,

Ozlem

Baklava with Walnuts and Pistachios

Home made baklava; delicious, easy and lighter

An Ottoman legacy, baklava is regarded as one of the greatest creations from the pastry chefs at the Topkapi Palace. Generally, baklava is enjoyed as a mid-morning sweet snack with a cup of Turkish coffee, or as a mid-afternoon treat with a glass of tea or after lunch or dinner. Baklava is also one of the favorite desserts marking the end of Ramadan. The real thing shouldn’t be very sweet and heavy; on the contrary it should be light enough to tempt you to eat a small plateful. Here is my home made baklava recipe; my version is lighter and fragrant with lemon, hope you enjoy it. How to make Baklava is also now on Ozlem’s Turkish Table You Tube channel below.

Gullac

Delicious and light Gullac dessert is ideal for warm summer days.

One of our favorite dessert for this time of the year is the traditional dessert, Gullac. This lovely, light dessert is prepared with Gullac wafers which is made with corn starch and wheat flour. You can find Gullac wafers at specialty or Middle Eastern stores, or at Turkish online shops.

Güllaç dessert contains walnuts or almonds between the layers which are soaked in milk. It is a light and wonderful dessert for warm summer days. You can decorate Gullac with pomegranate seeds in winter or dried fruits like apricots in summer; crushed pistachios are also wonderful over gullac. Here is my Gullac recipe.

Kunefe; Kadayifi; a very festive dessert

Kunefe, Kadayifi – a glorious dessert that would make any day special.

This glorious syrup soaked, cheese filled pastry strands, Kunefe, Kadayifi, is one of the signature dishes of my hometown, Antakya and it appears on our table in almost every special occasion.

The Master at work in Long Market, Antakya. The dough is pushed through a sieve to form delicate strands, called Tel Kadayif.

Tel kadayif is a dough, pushed through a sieve to form delicate strands, which looks like vermicelli and when soaked in butter and baked, resembles golden shredded wheat. It is the basis for many desserts but this is the most impressive. The hot cheese should ooze out giving an interesting contrast to the syrup soaked, crunchy casing. Any unsalted cheese which melts easily can be used – fresh mozzarella works well. I also like to add a little clotted cream; my mother would add the wonderfully thick cream we get in Turkey, called Kaymak. Kunefe can be baked in one big pan or smaller ones as individual portions and it instantly makes any day special. Here is my Kunefe recipe, if you’d like to give it a go.

Revani; Semolina Sponge Cake with Syrup

Revani; a deliciously moist semolina sponge cake in syrup

Revani has been a popular dessert with us Turks since the Ottoman Period; it is believed that the name Revani is given when the Ottomans conquered the city of Yerevan in today’s Armenia. Revani has many versions and been enjoyed in various cuisines especially in the Eastern Mediterranean countries, as well as in Turkey. I have seen the addition of rose water, orange flower water and orange zest to Revani, all sounds delicious. We love semolina’s grainy, nutty texture, the goodness from yoghurt and the refreshing lemony flavor in Revani. Here’s my Revani recipe; it is lighter but still packed with a lot of flavor.

Here is also my Revani YouTube video – Afiyet Olsun.

Kaymakli Ekmek Kadayifi; Turkish Bread Pudding in Syrup

Ekmek Kadayifi; Turkish bread pudding soaked in syrup

Ekmek Kadayifi, a specialty from Antakya, is a delicious and very popular dessert in Turkey, made with the special (dehydrated) bread soaked in syrup. Topped with the thick Turkish clotted cream, kaymak, it is a heavenly and a very satisfying dessert. Unfortunately it is difficult get this dehydrated bread abroad. Middle Eastern shops, Turkish shops and online Turkish stores may carry them, worth checking. I have also seen crumpets being used as an alternative to this dehydrated bread abroad. If using crumpets, you’ll need to adjust the syrup quantity. Here is my Ekmek Kadayifi recipe.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem