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Turkish recipes

152 Turkish recipes to cook at home, each with photos, step-by-step instructions and cook times. The quickest, Tahin pekmez, takes 5 minutes. Most take around 50 minutes.

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Tarhana çorbasıFermented yoghurt and vegetable soup

Late every summer, women across Central Anatolia, from Uşak to Konya and Sivas, ferment a dough of yoghurt, flour, tomatoes, peppers and onion, dry it on cloths in the sun and rub it into crumbs. All winter that tarhana becomes a quick, warming soup with a gentle sourness and the sweetness of sun-dried pepper. It is breakfast in villages, a cure for colds in cities, and is eaten with bread and a squeeze of lemon. Common mistake: tipping dry tarhana straight into hot liquid, which forms stubborn lumps; soak it in cold water first. Chef's tip: finish with a spoon of butter sizzled with dried mint and chilli flakes drizzled over each bowl; it lifts the whole soup.

30 minTurkishSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tas kebabıBraised beef with rice

Despite the name, tas kebabı never sees a grill: it is a bowl ('tas') of beef braised slowly with lots of onion, tomato and a little pepper paste until the meat is soft and the sauce is rich and glossy. It is a mainstay of esnaf lokantası, the tradesmen's restaurants where workers eat a hot lunch from steam trays, and is served over buttery rice pilaf or alongside mashed potato. Common mistake: crowding the pan when browning, so the beef boils grey. Chef's tip: cook the onions down until jammy before the tomato goes in; they melt into the sauce and give it body without any flour.

125 minTurkishMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tavuk göğsüShredded chicken milk pudding

It surprises everyone the first time, but Istanbul's old muhallebici shops still make this silky milk pudding with chicken breast pounded into fine threads, a recipe from the Ottoman palace kitchens. You cannot taste the chicken; it gives the pudding a stretchy, almost chewy body and a pearly look. Serve it cold with a heavy dusting of cinnamon. This dessert contains meat, so it is not vegetarian. Chef's tip: boil the chicken without salt and rinse the shreds several times in cold water; any savoury taste left behind will show in the finished pudding.

90 minTurkishDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tavuk soteSautéed chicken with peppers and mushrooms

Tavuk sote is what Turkish home cooks make on a busy weekday: strips of chicken thigh seared hard, then tossed with green and red peppers, mushrooms, onion, tomato and a spoonful of pepper paste until glossy. It cooks in the time the bulgur or rice takes, and lokantas serve it from the steam tray with a side of yoghurt. Thigh meat stays juicy; breast dries out quickly. Common mistake: adding all the chicken at once, which drops the pan temperature and leaves it pale and watery. Chef's tip: finish with a knob of butter and a pinch of dried thyme off the heat for a glossy, aromatic sauce.

30 minTurkishChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tekirdağ köftesiGrilled meatballs with bean salad

In Tekirdağ, on the Sea of Marmara, köfte houses have been grilling the same small, flat, oval meatballs for a century: beef and a little lamb, bread, cumin and nothing much else, cooked over charcoal and served in rows with white bean piyaz, roasted green peppers and a dusting of chilli. The meat is lightly kneaded, so it stays juicy and tender. Make it on a barbecue in summer or a ridged pan in winter. Chef's tip: knead the mince with the bread and let it rest overnight; the flavours meld and the köfte hold together on the grill without any egg.

32 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Testi kebabıLamb and vegetable clay-jug stew

In the cave restaurants of Göreme and Avanos, testi kebabı arrives as a sealed clay jug, glowing from the oven, which the waiter cracks open at the table with a sharp tap of a knife. Inside is beef or lamb stewed with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion until tender in its own rich juices. A lidded casserole works perfectly at home, and you can still seal the lid with dough for the drama. Serve with plain rice pilaf. Common mistake: adding a lot of water; the vegetables give off plenty and the sealed pot should braise, not boil. Chef's tip: brown the meat in two batches first for a deeper, savoury sauce.

175 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tulumba tatlısıFried dough fingers in syrup

Tulumba is the sweet you buy by the box from Turkish dessert shops for a quick treat or an unannounced visit: ridged fingers of choux-style dough, fried until crunchy, then dropped into cold syrup so they stay crisp outside and soak through within. Street vendors in Istanbul sell them warm in paper cones. A piping bag with a large star nozzle gives the ridges. Common mistake: frying in oil that is too hot; the outside browns before the inside puffs, leaving them raw and gummy. Chef's tip: start the dough in warm, not hot, oil and raise the heat slowly, so they swell and crisp evenly.

65 minTurkishDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Türk kahvesiTurkish coffee

A cup of Türk kahvesi is how Turks welcome guests, end a long meal and, in the old custom, test a suitor: the prospective bride makes his cup and may slip salt into it. Powder-fine coffee is brewed slowly with cold water and sugar to taste in a small long-handled pot (cezve), until a thick foam rises, then poured unfiltered so the grounds settle in the cup. Serve with a glass of water first and a piece of lokum. Order it sade (plain), orta (medium) or şekerli (sweet) and add the sugar before brewing, never after. The usual mistake is letting it boil, which collapses the foam and makes it bitter. Chef's tip: use cold water and a low heat; the slower it rises, the thicker the foam.

7 minTurkishDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Urfa kebabıMinced lamb kebab

Where Adana's kebab is hot, Şanlıurfa's is gentle: lamb and tail fat chopped by hand with a curved zırh blade, seasoned with salt and a little isot and pressed onto wide skewers. Grill houses around Balıklıgöl serve it on thin lavaş with charred tomatoes, peppers, sumac onions and a bostana salad, and the sweet smoke of the meat is the whole point. Without tail fat, ask your butcher for fatty lamb shoulder mince, around 25% fat, or the kebab will be dry and fall off the skewer. Chef's tip: wet your hands with cold water while shaping; the fat stays firm and the meat clings to the skewer.

40 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Uskumru dolmasıStuffed mackerel

Uskumru dolması is a showpiece of Istanbul's old Armenian and Greek meyhane kitchens, made in autumn when Bosphorus mackerel are fat: the skin is eased off whole, the flesh mixed with spiced rice, walnuts, currants and herbs, then stuffed back in so the fish looks untouched. It is dipped in egg and flour, fried and served at room temperature in slices as a cold meze. It takes time but impresses every guest. Chef's tip: roll and massage the fish firmly before you start; the spine snaps at the head and the skin loosens so you can push the flesh out without tearing it.

105 minTurkishFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Yayla çorbasıYoghurt, rice and mint soup

Named for the high summer pastures of Anatolia, yayla çorbası is the soup that tradesmen's restaurants in Ankara and Kayseri ladle out from morning onwards: soft rice in a silky, gently sour yoghurt broth, finished with a slick of mint butter. It is light enough for breakfast yet filling with bread, and many families make it when someone is unwell. Common mistake: pouring cold yoghurt straight into the boiling pot, which splits it into grainy curds; temper it first with hot liquid and keep the soup below a boil afterwards. Chef's tip: whisk an egg yolk and a spoon of flour into the yoghurt; they stabilise it and give a velvety body.

40 minTurkishSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

YuvalamaRice dumplings in yoghurt soup

Families in Gaziantep spend the day before Kurban Bayramı rolling thousands of chickpea-sized dumplings for yuvalama, the festive yoghurt soup served on the first morning of the holiday. Little balls of rice dough and tiny lamb meatballs simmer with chickpeas and chunks of lamb in a tangy yoghurt broth, finished with mint butter. It is rich, soothing and very much a feast dish, so make it with friends. The most common mistake is adding the yoghurt straight to a boiling pot: it curdles. Chef's tip: whisk an egg yolk and a spoon of flour into the yoghurt and stir it constantly as it comes up to a simmer.

165 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zeytinyağlı barbunyaBorlotti beans in olive oil

In Istanbul meyhanes and lokanta counters, the zeytinyağlı dishes are the cold olive-oil vegetables served at room temperature, and barbunya is one of the summer favourites when fresh borlotti appear in their speckled pink pods. The beans are braised slowly with onion, carrot, tomato and a little sugar until creamy, then left to cool in their glossy sauce and finished with parsley and lemon. Serve with crusty bread as a meze or a light lunch. Chef's tip: add the salt only once the beans are tender; salting at the start keeps the skins tough.

75 minTurkishVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zeytinyağlı kerevizCeleriac braised in olive oil

When celeriac fills the Kadıköy market stalls in winter, Istanbul home cooks braise thick slices of it in olive oil with orange juice, carrots and baby onions, then serve it cold the next day as a starter. The root turns silky and sweet, the orange gives it a bright, almost marmalade edge, and a little dill keeps it fresh. It sits happily on a meze table or alongside a bowl of lentil soup. Chef's tip: drop the cut celeriac straight into lemon water, otherwise it greys within minutes and never looks as good on the plate.

55 minTurkishVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zeytinyağlı taze baklaBroad beans in olive oil

In April, when the first tender broad beans arrive in İzmir's markets, Aegean cooks braise them whole, pods and all, with onion, dill and olive oil, and serve them cold under a blanket of garlic yoghurt. The pods turn silky and slightly sweet, nothing like the tough shells of older beans. It is one of the true markers of spring on the coast. Chef's tip: rub the pods with lemon and a little flour before cooking; it keeps them green and stops them blackening as they braise.

65 minTurkishVegetarianGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BostanaChopped tomato and cucumber salad

In Şanlıurfa a bowl of bostana goes on the table beside every summer meal of kebab, köfte or bulgur pilaf. Tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onion and fistfuls of parsley and mint are chopped very small, seasoned with isot and drowned in lemon juice and a little water, so you spoon up the juices as well as the vegetables. It is meant to be cold, sour and refreshing in the city's fierce heat. Common mistake: making it hours ahead; the cucumber goes limp. Chef's tip: chill the bowl and add a couple of ice cubes just before serving, as Urfa grandmothers do.

15 minTurkishSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

AçmaSoft buttery breakfast rings

Every simit seller's glass cart in Istanbul has a softer cousin stacked beside the sesame rings: açma, a pillowy, slightly sweet ring of enriched dough that commuters tear apart on the ferry with a glass of tea and a wedge of white cheese. The crumb is close to brioche but lighter, with a shiny golden crust and black nigella seeds on top. Plain ones are best warm; some bakers fold olives or cheese into them. Chef's tip: rest the rolled ropes for ten minutes before shaping, so the gluten relaxes and the rings keep their shape instead of shrinking back.

52 minTurkishBreads & Parathas
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Akçaabat köftesiGarlicky beef meatballs

The town of Akçaabat, just west of Trabzon, is lined with köfte houses whose grills turn out small, oblong, firm meatballs that taste strongly of garlic. Made from beef mince bound with soaked stale bread, they are seared fast so the outside chars while the inside stays juicy, then served with grilled peppers, a pile of onion and parsley, and a white bean salad. Common mistake: overworking the meat with wet hands after the bread has gone in, which turns them dense; knead hard before adding bread, then mix gently. Cook until the centre reaches 71 °C. Chef's tip: rest the shaped köfte in the fridge overnight; they hold their shape on the grill and the garlic mellows into the meat.

37 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ali nazikLamb on smoky aubergine and yoghurt

Gaziantep cooks char aubergines over coals until they collapse, mash the flesh with garlicky yoghurt and spoon pan-fried lamb with tomatoes and peppers on top: that is ali nazik, a lunchtime favourite in the city's lokantas. The cool, smoky base and the hot, buttery meat are the whole point, so assemble it just as you serve. A gas flame or a very hot grill gives the same smoky flesh at home. The usual mistake is not draining the aubergine, which makes the yoghurt runny and grey. Chef's tip: stir the yoghurt into the aubergine off the heat with a spoonful of butter; warm, not hot, keeps it from splitting.

55 minTurkishMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ankara tavasıBraised lamb on orzo pilaf

Ankara's signature dish is a tava, a baking pan, in which tender braised lamb is laid over a pilaf of rice and orzo and finished in the oven so the top grains go crisp and the meat juices soak right through. Old Ankara families serve it for guests and at festival lunches, with a bowl of cacık and pickles. Common mistake: using fully cooked pilaf, which dries out and turns hard in the oven; cook the rice only halfway. Chef's tip: save every spoon of the lamb's braising liquid; it's what flavours and finishes cooking the rice underneath.

150 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Arabaşı çorbasıSpicy chicken soup with dough cubes

On winter evenings in Kayseri, Konya and Yozgat, friends gather for arabaşı nights: a big pot of fiery, tomatoey chicken soup and a tray of plain set dough cut into cubes. Each person drops a cube of cold dough into a spoonful of hot soup and swallows it whole, without chewing, and the hot-cold contrast is the whole fun. Common mistake: making the dough too soft; it should set firm enough to slice cleanly once chilled. Cook the chicken until its juices run clear and it reaches 74 °C before shredding. Chef's tip: make the dough the morning before, or even the day before, so it is properly cold and firm.

90 minTurkishSoupsSpicy
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Arnavut ciğeriCrisp fried liver with sumac onions

No Istanbul meyhane table in Beyoğlu or Kumkapı is complete without a plate of Arnavut ciğeri: small cubes of lamb's liver dusted in paprika flour and flash-fried until crisp outside and just set within, piled on red onion, parsley and sumac. It is served hot among the cold meze, with toasted bread and a glass of something cold; ayran or şalgam work perfectly. Liver is quick to cook and quick to ruin. Chef's tip: shake off every bit of excess flour and fry in small batches in very hot oil, so the cubes crisp instantly instead of stewing.

25 minTurkishMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

AşureWheat, bean and dried fruit pudding

In the month of Muharram, kitchens all over Anatolia, especially in conservative Konya and Sivas, boil great pots of aşure and send bowls to every neighbour, regardless of faith, so the sweet is as much about sharing as eating. Legend says it was cooked on Noah's ark from the last of the stores, which is why it combines whole wheat, chickpeas, white beans, dried apricots, figs and raisins in a thick, gently sweet pudding. It's topped with walnuts, pomegranate and cinnamon. Common mistake: adding sugar before the wheat is fully tender; sugar firms the grains and they never soften. Chef's tip: soak the wheat and pulses overnight and cook the wheat in its soaking water for the creamiest result.

150 minTurkishDessertsVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ayran aşıChilled yoghurt and wheat soup

When the summer heat hits the eastern plateau around Erzurum, Erzincan and Sivas, families switch from hot soups to ayran aşı, a cold soup of thinned yoghurt with cooked whole wheat, chickpeas and handfuls of mint, dill and purslane or cucumber. It's ladled from a big bowl at lunch with flatbread, and it's as refreshing as a drink but filling as a meal. Common mistake: adding the grains while still hot, which makes the yoghurt split and turn sour-tasting; cool them completely first. Chef's tip: make it a few hours before serving and chill; the wheat soaks up the yoghurt and the herbs perfume the whole bowl.

60 minTurkishSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ayva tatlısıPoached quince with clotted cream

In autumn the market stalls of Ankara and Kayseri are piled with knobbly yellow quinces, and the best-loved thing to make with them is ayva tatlısı: halves poached slowly in syrup with their own seeds and a few cloves until they turn translucent and a deep garnet colour. Each half is filled with thick kaymak or clotted cream and topped with pistachio. Common mistake: rushing it on a high heat; the red colour only comes with long, gentle cooking. Chef's tip: tie the cores and seeds in a little muslin bag and cook them with the fruit; their natural pectin and tannins give the syrup body and that ruby glow.

95 minTurkishDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ayvalık tostuSausage, cheese and pickle toastie

Ayvalık, the olive-oil town on the north Aegean, turned the humble cheese toastie into a feast: a long, soft loaf split and stuffed with kaşar, beef sucuk, beef salami, tomatoes and pickles, pressed hot, then opened up again to be piled with ketchup, mayonnaise and Russian salad. It is eaten for breakfast or as a late snack after a swim. This one has beef sausage and salami, so check the label if you avoid pork. Chef's tip: press it twice, once with the cheese and meats, then again after opening it to add the cold toppings, so the bread stays crisp.

25 minTurkishMeat
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Badem ezmesiAlmond paste sweets

Edirne, on the Thracian border with Greece and Bulgaria, is famous for its badem ezmesi: pale, soft almond paste rolled into logs and sliced, or pressed into little shapes, sold beside the city's fruit-shaped soaps. It is less sugary than northern European marzipan, with blanched almonds ground fine and cooked briefly with syrup, so it stays moist and tastes of fresh nuts. It is served with Turkish coffee and given at bayram. Chef's tip: grind the almonds in short pulses with a spoonful of the sugar; long blending turns them oily and the paste goes greasy.

45 minTurkishDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Balık ekmekGrilled mackerel sandwich

At Eminönü, by the Galata Bridge, boats rocking at the quay grill mackerel fillets over charcoal and pass them up in half a loaf with raw onion, lettuce and a squeeze of lemon; you eat it on a low stool with a cup of pickle juice. It is the simplest fish sandwich imaginable and depends entirely on fresh, oily fish and a hot pan. Serve with turşu (pickles) and a salgam or ayran. Chef's tip: grill the fillets skin side down for most of the cooking time; the skin crisps and protects the soft flesh so it doesn't stick and tear.

20 minTurkishFish
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BazlamaPuffy griddle flatbread

Drive through the villages around Konya or Sivas and you'll see bazlama cooking on a domed sac over a fire: thick rounds of yeasted dough that puff up like pillows and come off freckled brown. A heavy frying pan does the job at home. Warm bazlama is torn and dunked into soups, spread with butter and honey for breakfast, or folded round grilled köfte. Common mistake: rolling the dough too thin; it should be about 1 cm, or it turns into a cracker. Chef's tip: a spoon of yoghurt in the dough keeps the bread soft for a day, and covering the cooked rounds with a cloth traps steam so they stay tender.

45 minTurkishBreads & Parathas
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Bici biciRosewater starch jelly with ice

When Adana's July heat pushes past 40 °C, handcarts on every corner serve bici bici: cubes of wobbly starch jelly piled with shaved ice, splashed with rose syrup and dusted with icing sugar. Children eat it in the shade of the clock tower; grown-ups claim it is the only thing that works in that heat. The jelly is just cornflour, water and a little sugar, set and cut into cubes. The usual mistake is undercooking it, which leaves a cloudy, floury jelly that won't hold a cut. Chef's tip: freeze water in a shallow tray and scrape it with a fork for snowy ice if you have no ice shaver.

25 minTurkishDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Biber salçasıRed pepper paste

Late every summer, rooftops in Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay turn red with trays of puréed peppers drying in the sun, and families fill jars that will season soups, köfte, bulgur and lahmacun through the winter. This oven method makes a smaller batch with the same deep, sweet and slightly smoky flavour; use some hot peppers if you like it acı (spicy). Store it under a film of oil in the fridge. The common mistake is a too-hot oven: the edges scorch and turn bitter before the middle thickens. Chef's tip: stir every 20 minutes and scrape the dried rim back in; the paste is ready when a spoon drawn through it leaves a clean trench.

240 minTurkishBasicsVeganGluten free
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Cağ kebabıSpit-grilled marinated lamb

In Erzurum and nearby Oltu, cağ kebabı is cooked on a huge horizontal spit turning beside a wood fire; the cook slices off the charred outer layer onto long flat skewers, and you eat it straight off the metal wrapped in lavaş. At home, thin slices of lamb marinated overnight with grated onion and black pepper, threaded tightly and seared on a very hot grill or griddle pan, capture much of the flavour. Serve with lavaş, sliced onion with sumac and grilled peppers. Common mistake: slicing the meat too thick, so it's tough and chewy; aim for 5 mm. Cook lamb to at least 63 °C with a little pink, or longer if you prefer. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated onion through a sieve and use only the juice; it tenderises without leaving bits that burn.

45 minTurkishMeat
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Çökertme kebabıBeef strips with garlic yoghurt

Çökertme is the kebab Bodrum is proud of: a bed of crisp, matchstick-thin fried potatoes, a layer of garlicky yoghurt, then tender strips of sautéed beef on top, finished with tomato sauce and butter. It is restaurant food in the town but easy to make at home for a Saturday lunch, and the contrast of hot, crunchy, cool and creamy is what makes it. Chef's tip: cut the potatoes very thin and fry them in two batches just before serving; made ahead, they go limp under the yoghurt.

60 minTurkishMeat
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Deniz börülcesi salatasıSamphire salad with garlic and lemon

Along the Aegean coast from Ayvalık down to Bodrum, every meze tray in early summer carries a tangle of deniz börülcesi, the salty, crunchy samphire gathered from the marshes. It is blanched, pulled off its woody cores, then dressed with plenty of garlic, lemon and olive oil and served cold beside grilled fish. It tastes of the sea in the best way. Chef's tip: don't salt the cooking water or the dressing; samphire carries all the salt it needs.

20 minTurkishSaladsVeganGluten free
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Ege ot böreğiWild greens hand pies

In spring, Aegean women around Urla and Ayvalık forage for wild greens (radika, mallow, wild fennel, chard and sorrel) and fold them into little half-moon pies, fried or baked, for the Hıdırellez spring festival and village picnics. Spinach and chard with lots of dill and mint make a good shop-bought substitute. They are herby, a little sour, and lovely warm or cold with yoghurt. Chef's tip: wilt and squeeze the greens thoroughly; any water left in the filling turns the pastry soggy and makes it burst.

75 minTurkishSnacks & StartersVegan
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Etli ekmekThin flatbread with lamb mince

In Konya, etli ekmek is the city's own fast food: dough stretched into a strip almost a metre long and thin as card, spread with hand-chopped lamb or beef, onion, tomato and pepper, baked for a few minutes in a stone oven and cut into squares with a pizza wheel. Unlike lahmacun, the topping is generous and the bread is crisp all the way through. At home, make shorter strips on a hot tray and serve with ayran, lemon and a heap of parsley and onion. Common mistake: piling the topping thick, which keeps the base soft; spread it thin right to the edges. The meat must reach 71 °C. Chef's tip: chop the mince again on a board with the onion and peppers; it spreads thinner and cooks faster.

50 minTurkishMeat
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Etli nohutLamb and chickpea stew

Ask anyone in Turkey for the taste of a school lunch or a lokanta set menu and many will say etli nohut with pilav: chickpeas simmered with cubes of lamb, onion, tomato and pepper paste until the sauce is thick and the chickpeas creamy. Spooned over buttery rice with a few pickles alongside, it is cheap, filling and better the next day. Soaking dried chickpeas overnight makes the biggest difference. Common mistake: adding salt and tomato paste before the chickpeas are tender, which keeps them hard. Chef's tip: brown the lamb in batches so it sears instead of stewing in its own juice; that crust flavours the whole pot.

115 minTurkishMeatGluten free
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Ev eriştesiEgg noodles with walnuts

Late summer in Sivas, Tokat and Kayseri villages means erişte days, when neighbours roll out huge sheets of egg dough, cut them into ribbons and dry them on cloths to last the winter. Freshly cut, they cook in minutes and are tossed with browned butter, toasted walnuts and crumbled white cheese, a simple dish that tastes of the farm. Common mistake: cutting the noodles before the rolled sheet has dried a little, so they stick into a clump; let it sit 15–20 minutes until leathery. Feta-style white cheese is often made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian one if needed. Chef's tip: toast a few raw noodles in the butter until golden before the boiled ones go in; they add a lovely crunch.

75 minTurkishPasta & Noodles
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Fasulye turşusu kavurmasıFried pickled green beans

Every autumn, Black Sea households pack crocks with green beans and brine, and through the winter those sour, soft beans are fried with onion and a little butter or oil into one of the region's most loved side dishes. Kavurma means fried, and the beans take on golden edges while keeping their tangy bite; a beaten egg sometimes goes in at the end. Eat it with cornbread, rice pilaf or a bowl of fried anchovies. Common mistake: frying the beans straight from the jar; they spit and taste harshly sour. Chef's tip: soak them in fresh water for half an hour first, tasting as you go, until they are pleasantly sour rather than puckering.

30 minTurkishVegetarianGluten free
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Fırın kebabıSlow-roasted lamb on bread

Konya's fırın kebabı comes from the city's old tandır ovens, where whole sides of lamb hung for hours until the meat collapsed and the fat crisped. Served on a sheet of thin pide with the cooking juices soaked in, a raw onion on the side and a jug of ayran, it is a Sunday treat and a wedding dish. A low home oven and a tightly covered tray give the same soft, juicy result. Common mistake: uncovering it too soon; the lamb needs steamy, sealed heat for hours before it gets its final browning. Chef's tip: rest the cooked lamb on the bread, not on a board; the bread drinks up every drop of juice.

255 minTurkishMeat
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Gavurdağı salatasıTomato, pepper and walnut salad

Named after the mountains east of Gaziantep, this is the salad that lands on every kebab-house table in the city, chopped so fine it is almost a relish. Tomatoes, onion, green pepper and parsley meet toasted walnuts, sumac and a sour-sweet dressing of pomegranate molasses and olive oil. It cuts through rich grilled meat or bulgur, and is just as good scooped up with flatbread as a meze. Dress it just before serving; if it sits, the salt pulls water from the tomatoes and it swims. Chef's tip: deseed the tomatoes and dice everything to the size of a lentil so each spoonful has a bit of all of it.

23 minTurkishSaladsVeganGluten free
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Girit ezmesiFeta, walnut and herb spread

Girit ezmesi takes its name from the Cretan Muslims who settled in Alaçatı and Çeşme a century ago, and it is still a fixture of every meze table in those whitewashed streets. Soft white cheese is mashed with olive oil, walnuts, garlic, plenty of herbs and a dusting of hot pepper into a rough, salty spread that begs for warm bread. Feta and beyaz peynir are often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one if you need to. Chef's tip: mash by hand with a fork rather than blending; it should stay textured, with visible pieces of walnut and herb.

15 minTurkishChutneys & DipsGluten free
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GüllaçRose milk wafer dessert

As soon as Ramadan begins, bakeries from Konya to Istanbul stack up packets of güllaç, the dried, almost transparent starch sheets that give this dessert its name. Soaked layer by layer in warm sweetened milk scented with rosewater, then filled with walnuts, the sheets turn soft and silky, and the dessert is served chilled after the iftar meal, often topped with pomegranate seeds. Common mistake: drenching the sheets in hot milk, which makes them dissolve into mush; the milk should be just warm. Chef's tip: make it at least 4 hours ahead, ideally overnight; it firms up enough to cut into clean slices.

40 minTurkishDesserts
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Hamsi tavaFried anchovies

When the first winter storms push shoals of anchovy along the coast, fish markets from Samsun to Hopa are heaped with silver hamsi and the whole region seems to smell of frying. Hamsi tava is the simplest way to eat them: heads off, butterflied, dusted in cornmeal and laid in a hot pan in a neat circle, then flipped like a cake. They come out crisp outside and soft and sweet within, with red onion, rocket, lemon and cornbread alongside. Common mistake: crowding the pan, which steams the fish and leaves the coating soggy. Cook until the flesh is opaque and flakes from the backbone. Chef's tip: shake off every bit of loose cornmeal; a thin coat is what stays crunchy.

30 minTurkishFishGluten free
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Hamsili pilavAnchovy-wrapped rice bake

Hamsili pilav is the showpiece of a Trabzon or Rize winter table: a dome of rice cooked with currants, pine nuts, allspice and dill, packed into a tin lined with butterflied anchovies, more fish laid over the top, and baked until the skins turn crisp. Turned out and cut like a cake, it shows silver fish outside and fragrant rice within, and families make it for guests and New Year gatherings. Serve with a sharp salad and lemon. Common mistake: fully cooking the rice before baking, which turns it mushy; it should still have a bite when it goes into the tin. Bake until the fish is opaque and flakes. Chef's tip: lay the anchovies skin side down against the tin, overlapping like roof tiles, so no rice escapes.

100 minTurkishFishGluten free
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Harput köftesiBulgur meatballs in tomato broth

Harput is the old hilltop town above Elazığ, and its köfte are a soup and a main course at once: firm balls of fine bulgur kneaded with lean beef mince and spices, simmered in a tomato and pepper broth with chickpeas. They're eaten at home on winter evenings, the broth mopped up with bread. Common mistake: not kneading long enough; the bulgur and meat need to become a smooth, stretchy paste or the köfte fall apart in the broth. Simmer until the köfte are firm and cooked through to 71 °C. Chef's tip: add a few ice cubes while kneading; cold keeps the meat binding the bulgur together.

70 minTurkishMeat
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Biberli ekmekPepper paste flatbread

Antakya's neighbourhood bakeries take trays of topping from customers each morning and bake biberli ekmek in the wood oven to order: soft flatbreads smeared with a spiced paste of red pepper, onion, parsley, cumin and sesame. It is breakfast, a school snack and a picnic bread all in one, often eaten with a glass of tea and a few olives. Some families add a little crumbled cheese, but the classic is meat-free and dairy-free. Spread the topping thin; a thick layer stays raw and wet in the middle. Chef's tip: bake on the hottest preheated tray you have so the base blisters before the topping dries out.

50 minTurkishBreads & ParathasVeganSpicy
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Tepsi kebabıBaked spiced lamb tray

In Antakya people still carry their tepsi kebabı to the neighbourhood bakery: a round copper tray of spiced lamb mince spread thin, scored into wedges and covered with sliced tomatoes, peppers and onions. The bread oven turns it juicy and crusty, and it comes home with a stack of hot flatbread. It is weekend lunch for the family, eaten with a parsley and onion salad and a bowl of yoghurt. Common mistake: pressing the meat more than 2 cm thick; it stews instead of roasting. Chef's tip: add a ladle of tomato water halfway through baking so the juices around the edges turn into a glossy sauce for dipping bread.

65 minTurkishMeatGluten free
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Hatay zeytin salatasıGreen olive and walnut salad

Hatay grows olives on every hillside towards the Syrian border, and its meyhanes and breakfast tables always have a bowl of this salad: green olives tossed with walnuts, spring onion, tomato, parsley, pepper paste and pomegranate molasses. It is salty, sour and sweet at once, and sits happily next to cheese, eggs and flatbread in the morning or as a meze in the evening. Pit and chop the olives yourself; jarred sliced olives are too soft. Rinse very salty olives first, or the salad is overwhelming. Chef's tip: dress it an hour ahead so the olives soak up the molasses, but add the tomatoes and herbs just before serving.

20 minTurkishSaladsVeganGluten free
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HingelPotato dumplings with browned butter

Hingel is the comfort food of Kars and Ardahan, on Turkey's high north-eastern border, where long winters made potatoes and butter everyday staples. Half-moon dumplings are filled with mashed potato and onion, boiled, then smothered in caramelised onions, garlic yoghurt and plenty of browned butter, much like manti but larger and softer. Common mistake: a wet potato filling that leaks through the seams; dry the boiled potatoes in the pan for a minute before mashing. Chef's tip: fry the onions slowly in the same butter you pour over at the end; it picks up their sweetness.

90 minTurkishPasta & Noodles
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HöşmerimCheese and semolina halva

Höşmerim is a winter dessert of the Erzurum plateau and the Bolu highlands, made from unsalted fresh cheese melted with butter and semolina until it turns golden and gives off its own butter, then soaked with syrup. It's eaten warm in small bowls, chewy and rich, topped with crushed walnuts or pistachios, often after a long cold day. Common mistake: using salty or aged cheese, which turns oily and bitter; you need a soft, unsalted fresh cheese such as lor or ricotta. Chef's tip: keep cooking until the fat starts seeping out at the edges and the mixture is the colour of light toffee; that's where the flavour comes from.

30 minTurkishDesserts
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İçli köfteStuffed bulgur shells

Making içli köfte is the test of a southeastern Turkish cook: a thin, even shell of bulgur dough is hollowed out on a finger and filled with mince fried with onion, walnuts and spices, then sealed into a pointed torpedo. Families in Mardin, Urfa and Diyarbakır make dozens before bayram, freezing them to fry for guests. Crisp outside, juicy inside, they are served hot with lemon. Common mistake: a thick shell; it cracks in the oil and tastes doughy. Chef's tip: keep a bowl of iced water by you and wet your fingers constantly; the dough becomes smooth and stretches thin without tearing.

115 minTurkishMeat
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İncir tatlısıWalnut-stuffed figs in syrup

The plain around Aydın grows most of Turkey's figs, and in winter, when only the dried ones remain, local cooks soften them in water, tuck a walnut half inside each, and poach them in a light syrup until they plump up dark and glossy. A spoonful of milk in the pan, an old Aegean trick, gives the syrup a soft caramel note. Serve them cold with kaymak or thick yoghurt. Chef's tip: soak the figs first so they swell before cooking; added dry, they stay leathery in the middle however long they simmer.

50 minTurkishDessertsGluten free
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İrmik helvasıSemolina halva with pine nuts

Across Turkey, the smell of semolina toasting in butter means something is happening: a new baby, a mevlit prayer gathering, or the forty days after a funeral, when neighbours are sent plates of warm helva. It is also simply a Friday-night family sweet. The semolina is stirred with pine nuts in butter until it is the colour of hazelnuts, then hissing hot milk and sugar are poured in and the pan rests until every grain swells. Common mistake: rushing the roasting over a high heat; it browns unevenly and tastes raw inside. Chef's tip: press the warm helva into a small cup and turn it out for neat domes, then dust with cinnamon.

40 minTurkishDesserts
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Islak burgerSteamed garlic tomato burger

In the windows of the snack bars on Taksim Square, little burgers sit in a steaming glass box, their buns soaked in a garlic and tomato sauce: the ıslak, or 'wet', burger, eaten by the half-dozen at 3 a.m. after a night out on İstiklal. The beef patty is thin and spiced, the bun turns soft and juicy, and the whole thing is gone in four bites. At home a covered pan does the job of the steam box. Chef's tip: use a soft, slightly sweet bun; crusty rolls stay hard and just get soggy at the edges.

45 minTurkishMeat
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İzmir köfteMeatballs baked with potatoes and peppers

Ask anyone from İzmir what their mother cooked on weeknights and İzmir köfte comes up: fingers of cumin-scented köfte, wedges of potato and long green peppers, lined up in a tray and baked in a thin tomato sauce until everything is soft and the edges catch. It is a one-tray family supper served with rice pilaf, a bowl of cacık and plenty of bread for the sauce. Chef's tip: fry the köfte and potatoes briefly before baking; that quick browning gives depth the oven alone can't.

75 minTurkishMeat
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Kaymaklı ekmek kadayıfıBread pudding with clotted cream

Ekmek kadayıfı is a big disc of dried, airy bread that pudding shops in Istanbul and Afyon soak in syrup until it turns dark, sticky and soft, then top with a thick slab of buffalo-milk kaymak. The contrast is the point: cold, rich cream against the warm, almost caramel-flavoured, juicy bread. At home you can use slices of stale brioche-style bread if you can't buy the ready-made disc. Chef's tip: pour hot syrup over completely dry bread, a little at a time, and wait between pours so every crumb drinks it up evenly.

45 minTurkishDesserts
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Kabak çiçeği dolmasıStuffed courgette flowers

In the Aegean villages around Ödemiş and Bodrum, women gather courgette flowers at dawn while they are still open, and by lunchtime they have been stuffed with a fragrant rice of tomato, mint, dill and pine nuts and gently simmered in olive oil. Served at room temperature as part of a summer meze spread, they are delicate and almost sweet. Pick (or buy) the male flowers on long stems, and use them the same day. Chef's tip: twist the petal tips closed rather than folding them; a gentle twist holds the filling better in the pot.

70 minTurkishVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Kabak mücverCourgette and feta fritters

Mücver are the courgette fritters fried in every Aegean summer kitchen, from Foça to Datça, when courgettes pile up faster than anyone can eat them. Grated courgette is squeezed dry and bound with egg, a little flour, crumbled white cheese and a fistful of dill, mint and spring onion, then fried until lacy and golden. Serve them hot or warm with garlic yoghurt as a meze or a light supper. Beyaz peynir and feta are often made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian one if needed. Chef's tip: salt the courgette and squeeze it hard in a cloth; wet courgette makes heavy fritters that never crisp.

45 minTurkishSnacks & Starters
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Kabak tatlısıCandied pumpkin with tahini and walnuts

When the big winter squashes come in from the fields around Konya and Ankara, home cooks cut them into thick wedges, bury them in sugar overnight and let the pumpkin cook slowly in the syrup it releases. The pieces turn glossy, deep orange and tender while holding their shape, and they're served cold with a drizzle of tahini and crushed walnuts. It's one of the few Turkish sweets made without any water at all. Common mistake: stirring the pot, which breaks the wedges; shake the pan gently instead. Chef's tip: cook it lid on for the first half and lid off for the second, so the syrup reduces to a thick glaze.

70 minTurkishDessertsVeganGluten free
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Kadayıf dolmasıWalnut pancakes in syrup

In Erzurum, kadayıf means not shredded pastry but small, spongy pancakes cooked on one side only. For kadayıf dolması they're filled with walnuts, folded into half-moons, fried golden and plunged into syrup, and they are the city's pride on festival days and at weddings. The outside is crisp and syrupy, the inside soft and nutty. Common mistake: cooking the pancakes on both sides; the uncooked, bubbly top is what sticks the edges together. Chef's tip: the syrup must be cold and the dolma hot straight from the oil, so they absorb syrup without going soggy.

80 minTurkishDesserts
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Kadınbudu köfteFried rice and mince patties

The name means 'lady's thigh', a playful Ottoman-era compliment to their plump, tender shape, and these köfte still appear in Istanbul home kitchens and old lokantas for Friday lunch. Half the meat is cooked with onion first, then mixed with raw mince, rice and herbs, so the köfte are unusually soft and moist. They are dipped in egg and fried golden, and served with a simple tomato salad and pilaf or mashed potato. Chef's tip: the rice must be fully cooked and cooled before mixing, or the köfte crack and fall apart in the pan.

65 minTurkishMeat
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Kağıt kebabıLamb and vegetables baked in parchment

Malatya cooks wrap cubes of lamb with tomatoes, peppers, shallots and garlic in greaseproof paper and bake them slowly, so the meat steams in its own juices and the parcel puffs up like a pillow. At the table each person tears open their own package to a cloud of fragrant steam. It's a festive dish for guests, served with bulgur pilaf and a yoghurt salad. Common mistake: wrapping loosely so the juices leak and the meat dries; fold and crimp the edges tightly. Chef's tip: brown the lamb quickly before wrapping; it gives a deeper flavour than raw meat steamed alone.

120 minTurkishMeatGluten free
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Kalamar tavaFried squid with walnut sauce

On the waterfront in Bodrum and in every Aegean fish meyhane, a plate of kalamar tava arrives hot among the cold meze: tender rings of squid in a light, crisp coat, with a bowl of tarator, a thick sauce of walnuts, bread, garlic and lemon, for dipping. The trick is speed; squid is tender after a minute or two in the oil and rubbery after five. Chef's tip: soak the rings in milk or fizzy mineral water for half an hour in the fridge; it tenderises them and helps the coating cling.

50 minTurkishFish
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Karadeniz kıymalı pideBeef-filled flatbread boat

Pide salons in Samsun, Trabzon and Rize stretch their dough into long boats, pinch the ends into points and fill them with minced beef, onion, tomato and peppers, then slide them into a wood oven for a few minutes. At home a very hot oven and a heavy tray get you close: a crisp, chewy rim, a juicy filling and a brush of butter as it comes out. Slice across into strips and eat with ayran and a sharp shepherd's salad. Common mistake: a wet filling, which soaks the base; squeeze the chopped tomato and let the mince sit on the dough raw so its juices cook into the bread. The mince must reach 71 °C. Chef's tip: crack an egg into the middle for the last 3 minutes if you like it the Samsun way.

45 minTurkishMeat
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Karadeniz mısır ekmeğiGolden cornbread

Along the Black Sea coast from Samsun to Artvin, cornbread was the everyday loaf long before wheat bread was common, and it still sits beside bowls of collard soup and plates of fried anchovies. This version is the simple household one: fine cornmeal scalded with hot water and milk, a little wheat flour and egg for lift, baked in a well-oiled pan until the crust cracks and the inside stays moist and slightly sweet. Cut it into wedges and eat it warm with butter, cheese or crumbled into soup. Common mistake: using cold water, which leaves the cornmeal gritty; scalding it first softens the grains. Chef's tip: heat the oiled pan in the oven before the batter goes in, so the base sizzles and forms a crisp, shiny crust.

50 minTurkishBreads & Parathas
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Karalahana çorbasıCollard greens and bean soup

Dark, ribbed karalahana is the cabbage of the eastern Black Sea, and in Trabzon and Rize winter kitchens it goes into a thick soup that is somewhere between a broth and a stew. Shredded leaves simmer with borlotti beans, onion and a spoon of pepper paste, then a handful of cornmeal is whisked in at the end to give the soup body and a gentle sweetness. It is served with cornbread, a wedge of onion and a few chilli pickles. Common mistake: leaving the tough central ribs in; they never soften and make the soup stringy. Chef's tip: the soup is noticeably better the next day, so make it ahead and loosen it with a little hot water when you reheat.

65 minTurkishSoupsVeganGluten free
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Karalahana sarmasıStuffed collard leaf rolls

In Trabzon and Artvin kitchens the big dark leaves of karalahana are blanched and wrapped around a filling of minced beef, rice, onion and plenty of mint and dill, then packed into a pot and simmered with a little tomato and butter. The rolls are thicker and chewier than vine-leaf sarma, with an earthy taste that suits cold weather, and they're served with a bowl of garlicky yoghurt. Common mistake: leaving the thick central vein on the leaf; shave it flat with a knife or the rolls split. Simmer until the filling is cooked through to 71 °C and the rice is soft. Chef's tip: lay any torn leaves in the base of the pot so the rolls never touch the bottom and scorch.

100 minTurkishMeatGluten free
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Karışık turşuMixed vegetable pickle

Every autumn Turkish kitchens line up jars of karışık turşu, and in Istanbul pickle shops (turşucu) sell it by the glass with its sour juice to drink. Crunchy cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers and cauliflower are packed with garlic and chickpeas in a salted, vinegar-spiked brine and left to sour for a couple of weeks. It sits beside bean stews, pilaf and kebab at almost every home meal. Common mistake: iodised table salt, which clouds the brine and softens the vegetables; use rock or pickling salt. Chef's tip: a few dried chickpeas in the jar help the fermentation get going, as Turkish grandmothers swear.

35 minTurkishBasicsVeganGluten free
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Kars kazıRoast goose with bulgur pilaf

In Kars, geese are raised all summer, slaughtered in the first frosts, salted and hung in the cold air, then roasted through the winter for weddings and long family dinners. The crisp-skinned meat is served on a bed of bulgur pilaf cooked in the goose's rich fat and broth, and nothing else is needed but pickles and ayran. This home version uses a fresh goose, salted for a day in the fridge. Common mistake: not pricking the skin, which traps the fat and leaves the skin flabby. Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74 °C and the juices run clear. Chef's tip: pour off the fat during roasting and keep it; a spoonful in the pilaf and the rest for roast potatoes.

240 minTurkishMeat
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KatmerClotted cream and pistachio pastry

In Gaziantep the morning starts at a katmer counter: a baker slaps a ball of dough into a sheet so thin you can read through it, scatters it with pistachios, sugar and kaymak, folds it into a parcel and bakes it on a hot iron plate. Eaten straight away, it shatters at the edges and stays creamy in the middle, and locals drink strong tea with it. At home a heavy frying pan stands in for the iron plate. The usual mistake is stretching the dough before it has rested; it tears instead of going translucent, so give it the full hour under oiled cling film. Chef's tip: grind the pistachios only to coarse sand, not powder, so they stay bright green and give each bite some crunch.

45 minTurkishDesserts
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KayganaHerb egg pancake

In Trabzon and Rize homes, kaygana is what appears when breakfast needs stretching: eggs beaten with a little flour and milk and a big handful of spring onion, dill and parsley, then poured thin into a buttered pan. It sits halfway between an omelette and a crêpe, soft in the middle with lacy, browned edges. Fold it onto a plate with cheese, olives, tomatoes and tea, or roll it up for a packed lunch. Common mistake: a pan that isn't hot enough, so the batter soaks up butter and turns leathery instead of puffing. Chef's tip: let the batter rest for 10 minutes; the flour hydrates and the kaygana flips without tearing.

27 minTurkishBreakfast & Brunch
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