Acılı ezme
Spicy tomato and pepper salad
Ezme salatası: the fiery chopped tomato, pepper and pomegranate relish of Adana
Sit down at a kebab house in Adana or Gaziantep and a small dish of acılı ezme arrives before you have ordered: tomato, pepper, onion and parsley chopped almost to a paste, sharpened with pomegranate molasses and hot pepper flakes. It works just as well at a vegetarian table, spooned onto bulgur pilaf, falafel or grilled vegetables, or scooped up with warm flatbread. The mistake most people make is using a food processor: it turns the vegetables into watery soup instead of a thick, rough relish. Chef's tip: chop everything by hand with a big knife, then drain the tomatoes in a sieve for 5 minutes before mixing, so the ezme stays thick enough to sit on bread.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ripe tomatoesabout 350 g, seeded and very finely chopped
- 1 green pointed pepperseeded and very finely chopped
- 1 hot green chillifinely chopped; more for extra heat
- ½ onionvery finely chopped
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- ⅛ oz fresh mint leavesfinely chopped
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
- 1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sumac
- ½ tsp salt
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the chopped 3 ripe tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl and leave for 5 minutes to drain off the thin juice.
5 minStep 2: Meanwhile, on a large board, chop 1 green pointed pepper, 1 hot green chilli, ½ onion, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley and ⅛ oz fresh mint leaves together with a big knife, running it back and forth until everything is in tiny, even pieces.
5 minStep 3: Add the drained tomatoes and 1 garlic clove to the board and chop once more for a minute, until it looks like a rough, juicy paste with no big pieces.
Step 4: Scrape into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp hot red pepper paste (acı biber salçası), 1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber), ½ tsp sumac and ½ tsp salt. Taste: it should be hot, sour and slightly sweet. Add more chilli or molasses to your liking.
Step 5: Leave for 10 minutes for the flavours to come together, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil. It is best eaten the same day.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does acılı ezme take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of hot green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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