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Poached Dried Apricots in Light Syrup with Kaymak

By Ozlem Warren on July 11, 2025 in SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes 0

This delicious Kuru Kayısı Tatlısı, Poached Dried Apricots in Light Syrup with Clotted Cream , from my book SEBZE is a light, delicious and easy dessert for entertaining. Turkiye is one of the largest producers of apricots, kayısı. They are grown in abundance during the summer months, and some of the yearly harvest is dried in the sun to be enjoyed all year round. Malatya, a city in southeast Turkiye, is particularly famous for the quality of its dried apricots, which are exported all over the world. When I was a child, we lived in Elazığ, a town next to Malatya and my father would bring home cases of juicy apricots after work. We would eagerly wait for my father’s return and the apricots would soon disappear. Poaching dried apricots in light syrup brings out their beautiful fragrance and they are luscious served with cream.

Prepare ahead: You can poach the dried apricots in syrup 1–2 days ahead. Once cool, keep in a container, covered, in the refrigerator.

Variation and leftovers: Instead of clotted cream, you can stuff the dried apricots with 85 g (3 oz/2/3 cup) chopped walnuts for a plant-based feast. Leftovers can be enjoyed for breakfast or you can serve the leftover syrup as a light sherbet drink, with ice cubes and fresh mint in small glasses.

Here’s my recipe from my book SEBZE; if you are after delicious, easy, wholesome vegetarian Turkish recipes, there are 85 scrumptious recipes are on offer in SEBZE, along with stunning photography, stories, heritage – you can get a copy here worldwide.

Afiyet olsun,

Ozlem x

Poached Dried Apricots in Light Syrup with Kaymak

This is a light, delicious and easy dessert for entertaining. Turkey is one of the largest producers of apricots, kayısı. They are grown in abundance during the summer months, and some of the yearly harvest is dried in the sun to be enjoyed all year round. Malatya, a city in southeast Turkey, is particularly famous for the quality of its dried apricots, which are exported all over the world. When I was a child, we lived in Elazığ, a town next to Malatya and my father would bring home cases of juicy apricots after work. We would eagerly wait for my father’s return and the apricots would soon disappear. Poaching dried apricots in light syrup brings out their beautiful fragrance and they are luscious served with cream.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Easy Desserts

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

150 g (5 oz/2/3 cup) granulated sugar
450 ml (15 fl oz/1¾ cups) hot water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
250 g (9 oz) soft dried apricots
130 g (4½ oz/½ cup) Turkish thick cream (kaymak) or clotted cream (or plant-based clotted cream)
2 tablespoons crushed pistachios

Instructions

Combine the sugar and hot water in a medium pan and bring to the boil. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then reduce to a simmer. Pour in the lemon juice and add the dried apricots, and poach for 20 minutes over a low–medium heat. The apricots will plump up and the syrup will thicken, infused with the apricots’ beautiful fragrance. Leave to cool.
Once cool, gently open the split of the apricot and fill each with about ⅓ teaspoon kaymak or clotted cream. Place the stuffed apricots on a serving dish, spoon the syrup around them and sprinkle with crushed pistachios to serve.

SEBZE receives the Gourmands Best in the World Award! And Öcce Fritters

By Ozlem Warren on July 4, 2025 in SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes 2

I am absolutely delighted to share that my book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish Kitchen, received the prestigious Gourmands Best in the World Award in Vegetarian Category!

SEBZE has been my love letter to my homeland’s delicious, diverse, easy to make vegetarian Turkish cuisine; I am so delighted to see wholesome vegetarian Turkish cuisine got this prestigious recognition. With this note, many thanks to all readers to your support for this special book, it gives me so much joy seeing seeing you enjoy cooking from SEBZE; copies can be obtained worldwide here.

Öcce Fritters with Spring Onion and Fresh Herbs

Styled by Esther Clark, during SEBZE photo shoots with Sam A Harris

These delightful, herby Öcce fritters, from my new book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, are a popular specialty in southern Turkiye, especially in the Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay regions. Locals make them with lots of spring onions (scallions), herbs and fresh garlic, when in season. There are many variations throughout the country, where, for instance, grated courgettes (zucchini) can be added too, as in our popular kabak mücveri. In south, locals use a special öcce pan with hollows, where the batter is poured over to be shallow fried. A regular, non-stick wide pan will work just as well. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. As variations, you could add some grated beets, carrots to the mix for additional crunch. You can use gram/chickpea flour for gluten-free option.

There are 85 delicious, doable, wholesome Turkish vegetarian recipes at my new book SEBZE, many are adaptable for gluten-free too. You can get a copy here worldwide.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem x

SEBZE receives the Gourmands Best in the World Award! And Occe recipe

These delightful, herby fritters are a popular specialty in southern Turkiye, especially in the Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay regions. Locals make them with lots of spring onions (scallions), herbs and fresh garlic, when in season. There are many variations throughout the country, where, for instance, grated courgettes (zucchini) can be added too, as in our popular kabak mücveri. In south, locals use a special öcce pan with hollows, where the batter is poured over to be shallow fried. A regular, non-stick wide pan will work just as well. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. As variations, you could add some grated beets, carrots to the mix for additional crunch.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30 g (1 oz) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
130 g (4¼ oz) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (including stems)
1 teaspoon pul biber or red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
85 g (3 oz/2/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour (use gram/chickpea flour for a gluten-free option)
55 g (2 oz) beyaz peynir or feta, crumbled (optional)
3 medium eggs, beaten
light olive oil or groundnut oil, for shallow frying
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Combine the spring onions, garlic, fresh mint, parsley, pul biber and cumin in a large bowl. Using your hands, combine the mixture well. Add the flour and cheese (if using) and stir in the beaten eggs, then season with salt and pepper, and combine well into a batter.
Heat enough oil to cover the base of a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) (about 25 cm/10 in in diameter) over a medium–high heat. Drop tablespoons of the batter mix into the hot oil, spoonful by spoonful, leaving space between each one. Shallow fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
They are deilcious with Haydari dip from SEBZE

Baked Potatoes with Onions, Tomatoes and Olives – Zeytinli Patates Bastısı

By Ozlem Warren on April 16, 2025 in Vegetarian recipes 0

Image taken during SEBZE photo shoots with Sam A Harris and Esther Clark

This delightful and easy potato bake, from my new book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, makes use of the bastı method, a layered cooking technique dating back to the Ottoman period. Meat and vegetables are traditionally first sautéed then layered and gently pressed into a round dish. Turkish food writer Sahrap Soysal notes that this technique is also referred to as oturtma. This humble, great-value dish is very moreish, perfect for buffets as well as easy weekday meals. Leftovers are delicious enjoyed cold the next day, too.

I hope you enjoy making this dish; if you like to get a copy of my cookery book, SEBZE, copies can be ordered worldwide here.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem x

Baked Potatoes with Onions, Tomatoes and Olives - Zeytinli Patates Bastısı

This delightful potato bake makes use of the bastı method, a layered cooking technique dating back to the Ottoman period. Meat and vegetables are traditionally first sautéed then layered and gently pressed into a round dish. Turkish food writer Sahrap Soysal notes that this technique is also referred to as oturtma. This humble, great-value dish is very moreish, perfect for buffets as well as easy weekday meals. Leftovers are delicious enjoyed cold the next day, too.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine, Mediterranean

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed
3 medium or 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
650 g (1 lb 7 oz) roasting potatoes, cut into 3 cm (1 in) discs, 1 cm (½ in) thick
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon pul biber
60 g (2 oz/1/3 cup) good-quality black olives (Turkish or kalamata), pitted and quartered
3 medium, ripe tomatoes, halved, then sliced 5 mm (¼ in) thick
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, wide pan over a medium heat, add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until softened and starting to caramelise. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan (or perhaps a little more if needed), add the potatoes and sauté over medium heat for 5–6 minutes. Stir the onions back into the pan, season with salt, pepper, dried oregano and pul biber, combine well and remove from the heat.
Spread half of the potato and onions in the base of a 25 cm (10 in) baking dish. Layer half of the olives and sliced tomatoes over and gently press. Spread the remaining potato and onions over, with a final layer of olives and tomatoes on top, and gently press. Drizzle a little olive oil over, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 40–45 minutes until fully cooked and charred at the edges.
Scatter the chopped parsley over and serve warm or at room temperature.