RECIPES AROUND EUROPE: TURKEY

RECIPES AROUND EUROPE: TURKEY

Kebabs of all kinds are common in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. This particular version is named after the city of Adana in Turkey, where it is said to have originated, and is traditionally made of minced lamb mounted on a skewer and grilled over charcoal.

Different cities and regions debate over how spicy the Adana kebab should be, but the inclusion of ground lamb as the choice of meat is a constant.

This recipe seasons the lamb with onion, garlic, cumin, sumac, and red pepper flakes. The cooked kebabs are often served over warm flatbread to catch the drippings and are accompanied by roasted tomatoes, green or red peppers, sliced onions, and parsley. Less traditional, but equally delicious, would be to serve them over a bed of cooked basmati rice or an herbed couscous.For this recipe, you'll need four metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in ice-cold water for an hour.

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb

1 small onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons ground sumac, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 tablespoons ice water

For Serving:

Pita bread (or naan bread)

Romaine lettuce leaves

Chopped red onion

Fresh parsley

Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Chopped cucumber

by Nizar

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Turkish Yogurt Drink

Healthy and super easy to make, ayran, or Turkish yogurt drink, is so refreshing to have on a hot summer day.

You’ll only need water, yogurt, and sea salt to make this nutritious drink. Everything’s ready in 5 minutes.

Using a blender isn’t necessary unless you want to add other ingredients like grated cucumber, ground cumin, or chopped mint for flavoring.

For the best consistency, the recipe instructs to follow the 1:1 ratio of yogurt and water.

Of course, you can make adjustments depending on your preferred thickness for the drink.

Turkish Coffee

The traditional way to make Turkish coffee is to brew the ground coffee in a small pot, along with a cardamom pod. Adding sugar is optional.

There’s no need for cream or milk, so expect the Turkish version to be stronger than other types of coffee.

Fun fact: Turkish coffee is also used for fortunetelling. Psychic advisors believe that there’s a meaning behind the residue of coffee grounds in your cup.

Turkish Lamb Kebabs

These chunks of lamb are grilled on a metal skewer and marinated in tomato paste and classic Turkish spices.

These lamb kebabs will give you a flavor bomb!

Once it’s cooked, place on a flatbread along with juicy, roasted tomatoes and devour. I’m sure it’ll be gone in seconds.

If you like kebabs, you’ll also enjoy other variations of this dish that use marinated beef and chicken.

by Buğlem , Emre