Turkish

Istanbul & the Aegean coast

Turkish cooking sits where Europe and Asia meet, and the table shows it: eggs scrambled with tomato and pepper, hand-rolled köfte off the grill, and the famous “imam fainted” eggplant braised soft in olive oil. Big flavours, generous and unhurried.

Every recipe

3 recipes in this region.

Whole braised eggplant split open and stuffed with a glossy tangle of sweet onion, garlic and tomato, glistening in olive oil on a plate with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Vegan

Turkey (Ottoman / pan-Turkish) · Turkish

İmam Bayıldı (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant in Olive Oil)

The eggplant dish so good 'the imam fainted': whole eggplant braised soft in olive oil and stuffed with a sweet tangle of onion, garlic and tomato. Served at room temperature, it's the star of the Turkish olive-oil table.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A small two-handled pan of menemen — soft eggs cooked into a thick red sauce of tomato and green peppers, dusted with red pepper flakes and parsley, with crusty bread alongside.

Veg

Aegean Turkey (Menemen, İzmir) · Turkish

Menemen (Turkish Eggs with Tomato and Peppers)

Turkey's beloved breakfast: eggs cooked soft and creamy in a simmer of tomatoes, green peppers and olive oil, gently spiced and eaten straight from the pan with plenty of bread. Quick, cheap and deeply comforting.

EasyBreakfastMediterranean

Charred oval Turkish köfte on a platter with grilled green peppers and tomatoes, a sumac-dusted onion salad and a bowl of yogurt, warm flatbread tucked alongside.

Turkey (pan-Turkish) · Turkish

Turkish Köfte (Spiced Grilled Meatballs)

Turkey's everyday favourite: ground meat kneaded with onion, garlic and cumin, shaped into little ovals and grilled or pan-fried until charred outside and juicy within. Served with flatbread, grilled peppers and a cooling salad.

EasyMainsMediterranean