Tag Archives | Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book

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.

Rolled Cabbage Leaves with Bulgur filling; Bulgurlu Lahana Sarma

By Ozlem Warren on November 9, 2015 in Casseroles and Stews, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts 17

Rolled cabbage leaves with bulgur, ground meat, onion and spices; Bulgurlu Lahana Sarmasi

We love stuffed vegetables, dolmas in Turkish cuisine and I have a soft spot for this delicious stuffed cabbage leaves with bulgur, onions and ground meat, Bulgurlu Lahana Sarmasi, Antakya style (“Dolma” is the term used for stuffed vegetables, as in peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and “Sarma” is the term used for rolled leaves in Turkish cuisine). Bulgur is flavored here with the dried mint (the star spice here), cumin and red pepper flakes, along with onion and parsley. It makes a delicious filling even without the meat; so by all means omit the meat for a vegetarian version. I remember as a child so eagerly waiting for this delicious sarma to cook; mother would ask whether we would like to do a “quality check” of the rolls from the pot and we tuck in at that very minute, happy days. These rolls can easily be an all day snack for us.

Tip for separating the cabbage leaves; try to get a large cabbage with big, straight leaves. Trim the bottom root and place the cabbage as whole in a large pan with boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. The leaves will start to peel off without breaking. Please save the hard stalk or the hard middle part of the cabbage leaves; they are delicious in Lahana Kapuska; cabbage cooked with rice, onions, ground meat and spices, a sort of deconstructed rolled cabbage leaves – my recipe link is here.

Rolled cabbage leaves with bulgur, Southern Turkish Style; dried mint and red pepper flakes flavor the cabbage and bulgur beautifully

Wholesome grain bulgur is widely used in southern Turkish cuisine in mezzes, salads, stuffed vegetables and in bulgur pilaf. Cooked in lemony olive oil sauce, it makes a delicious pairing with cabbage here; all you need is some plain yoghurt aside to enjoy this delicious Bulgurlu Lahana Sarmasi. You can use (1 tbsp.) pomegranate molasses instead of lemon juice in the sauce if you’d like a sharper taste.

My roots go back to ancient Antioch, Antakya and I love sharing Antakya’s delicious, diverse cuisine, along with other healthy, wholesome Turkish recipes, all included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies available at this link, and now 20 % Off, if you’d like a copy. It is delivered worldwide including the US, Canada and Mexico, with lower delivery rates here. We also have this Ozlem’s Turkish Table apron available now, made in Turkey, with my hometown Antakya’s daphne leaves embroidered in the design, it can make a lovely gift for a foodie. You can order at this link.

I hope you enjoy our family favorite; Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.5 from 2 reviews

Rolled Cabbage Leaves with Bulgur filling; Bulgurlu Lahana Sarma

Wholesome grain bulgur pairs with cabbage well and makes a delicious filling with ground meat, spices and onion. I hope you enjoy this Southern Turkish style rolled cabbage leaves with bulgur filling; it is delicious and wholesome. Plain yoghurt by the side complements the cabbage rolls very well. Afiyet Olsun!

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Mains with bulgur and cabbage

Cuisine: Southern Turkish Cusine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

200 gr/ 7 oz. / 1 cup coarse bulgur
1 large cabbage (which yields about 20 large to medium cabbage leaves)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
225 gr/ 8 oz. ground (minced) beef or lamb
Small bunch of parsley leaves, finely chopped
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
15 ml / 1 tbsp. dried mint
5 ml/ 1 tsp. cumin
5 ml/ 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the sauce:
4 cloves of garlic, crushed with salt and finely chopped
15 ml / 1 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (or 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses)
500 ml / 1 pint / 2 cups of water
15 ml / 1 tbsp. tomato paste
Dried mint and red pepper flakes to serve
Plain yoghurt to serve

Instructions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
Trim the bottom root and place the cabbage as whole in the pan with boiling water and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Remove the cabbage and leave it to cool. Then take a sharp knife and cut the outer leaves from the main stalk. The rest of the leaves will start to peel off without breaking one by one. Peel off about 20 large to medium leaves for rolling and set them aside (Please save the hard stalk or the hard middle part of the cabbage leaves, that is too small or hard to roll; they are delicious in Lahana Kapuska; cabbage cooked with rice, onions, ground meat and spices, which I will also share in the coming weeks).
For the filling; combine the bulgur, chopped onion, parsley, olive oil, dried mint, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Knead well with your hands for a few minutes. Stir in the ground meat and knead for another minute to combine well.
With a sharp knife, carefully trim and make a V shape cut to remove the thickest part of the stalk from the base of each cabbage leaf. Place 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon of the filling (depending on the size of the leaf) in the middle of the leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll the leaf up tightly. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Place the rolled leaves tightly in a heavy pan with seam side down, do the second layer too and pack tightly.
For the sauce, mix together the water, olive oil, lemon juice (or 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses), tomato paste and chopped garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Pour this sauce over the rolled cabbage leaves (the water should just about to cover the top of the rolled cabbage leaves). Place a plate on top of the leaves to stop them unraveling during cooking.
Cover the pan and cook on low heat over stove top or burner for 40 – 45 minutes, simmering gently.
Once cabbage rolls are cooked, serve hot, decorated with dried mint and red pepper flakes. Plain yoghurt complements this delicious cabbage rolls with bulgur filling, bulgurlu lahana sarmasi, beautifully. Afiyet Olsun.

Notes

Tip for separating the cabbage leaves; try to get a large cabbage with big, straight leaves. Trim the bottom root and place the cabbage as whole in a large pan with boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. The leaves will start to peel off without breaking.

Pumpkin Soup with cumin, pul biber and caramalised onions

By Ozlem Warren on October 26, 2015 in Soups 10

This easy, delicious pumpkin soup flavored with spices is a real winter warmer. Balkabagi, pumpkin, is sold in street stalls and farmers markets, Pazar, at home, either as a whole or in huge, deseeded chunks and we love its natural sweetness. We then turn this luscious, nutritious pumpkin either into a delicious soup, or make our popular Candied Pumpkin dessert, Kabak Tatlisi or simply roast in olive oil and seasoning.

Delicious and easy to make pumpkin soup, flavored with spices and yoghurt

I mildly flavored our pumpkin soup, Balkabagi Corbasi, with ground cumin and pul biber. Warming, pungent cumin and a delicious spicy kick from pul biber or red pepper flakes work well with the sweetness of the pumpkin. Adding plain yoghurt at the end gives a lovely creamy texture and a bit of tartness, really delicious and wholesome. You can try this delicious soup with butternut squash too.

I recently made another variation of this soup, topped with caramalised onions and crumbled feta or beyaz peynir. Tangy feta and crispy caramalised onions complement the natural sweetness of the pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin soup with caramalised onions and feta – delicious variation

Candied pumpkin dessert with walnuts, Turkish style; Kabak Tatlisi

I hope you enjoy this nutritious, easy pumpkin soup, packed with flavor. If you also fancy making an easy Turkish style pumpkin dessert, here’s my Candied Pumpkin dessert with walnuts recipe. Pumpkin is baked here in its very own juice with sugar and the result is an exquisite dessert with the full flavor of pumpkin, also fancy enough to share with family and friends. The candied pumpkin recipe is also at my cookery book. And if you’d like to get a signed copy of my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, packed with delicious, healthy, authentic Turkish recipes, you can order at this link, signed copies here now 20 % Off , it is delivered worldwide, including the USA, Canada and Mexico here.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Pumpkin Soup with Cumin, Chili Flakes, Yoghurt; Balkabagi Corbasi

This easy, delicious pumpkin soup flavored with spices and yoghurt, is a real winter warmer. I mildly flavored our pumpkin soup, Balkabagi Corbasi, with ground cumin and red pepper flakes. Adding plain yoghurt at the end gives a lovely creamy texture and a bit of tartness, really delicious and wholesome. Recently I made another variation with caramalised onions and feta over the top; the flavours worked well beautifully. Hope you enjoy it, Afiyet Olsun.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

800 gr / 1.75 lb. deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, cut in small chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. ground cumin
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
1 lt / 1 ¾ pints/ 4 cups vegetable stock (or water)
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
60 ml / 4 tbsp. plain natural yoghurt to serve (optional)
Roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds to serve (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil to serve (optional)
Variation with caramalised onions and feta:
1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
5ml/1tsp pul biber
30gr/2tbsp crumbled feta or beyaz peynir

Instructions

Clean, peel and deseed the pumpkin and cut in small chunks.
Put the pumpkin chunks and onions into a large, heavy pan. Pour in the stock or water and olive oil. Then bring the pan to the boil.
Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until all the vegetables are cooked.
Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pan.
Over a low heat, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground cumin and pul biber, red pepper flakes or chili flakes. Combine well and turn the heat off.
Pour the soup into serving bowls. Swirl a tablespoonful of plain yoghurt over (if you prefer). Sprinkle a few sunflower seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds, as well as little red pepper flakes and ground cumin, if you like. I also like to drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the soup before serving.
For the variation with caramalised onions; heat 30ml/2tbsp olive oil on a saute pan. Stir in the sliced onions and saute for 15 minutes over medium to high heat, stirring often. The onions will soften, change their colour and caramalise at the end of this period; keep an eye on the onions so they don't get burned. if you enjoy more heat, stir in 1 tsp pul biber or red pepper flakes to the onions, stir and infuse the pul biber to the onions and olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off. Serve the soup into individual bowls, topped with caramalised onions and crumbled feta, as well as a few pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you like.