When you come to Istanbul, it seems as if the city is one big store or one big restaurant. Thousands of cafes, small cafes and bakeries on virtually every street. Therefore, the question “where to eat?” Usually no one has it.
Whatever you order in a cafe or restaurant, you are unlikely to be dissatisfied; as a rule, the food is very tasty. I’ve been living here for quite a long time and I want to tell you about the most famous dishes of Turkish cuisine, so that when you find yourself in Turkey, you definitely know what you should definitely try in Istanbul.
Turkish street food deserves special attention , first I will talk about it, or rather, about those dishes that were not mentioned in the previous article.
In fact, these are the well-known “crumb potatoes”, very tasty, filling and not too healthy. 🙂 It is believed that the best kumpir is prepared in the Ortakoy region, although, having tried it in Taksim, I didn’t see much of a difference, perhaps only the decoration is not so beautiful. Kumpir costs 10-12 liras. They add butter and cheese to a huge baked potato, mix it, and then you choose a bunch of salads, add ketchup, mayonnaise, sprinkle with cheese, make an impromptu plate out of foil, or ready-made cardboard branded boxes and voila! Afiyet olsun! (Afiet olsun - bon appetit! - tour.)
(Islak hamburger, Turkish - wet hamburger). This time there is no question of usefulness either, but it’s worth trying at least once! The hamburgers are in a closed glass display container, and they are moist from the hot steam rising from below. Yslak hamburgers taste spicy, with a juicy patty with spices and tomato sauce inside and are very, very tasty!
According to popular belief, the best yslak hamburgers are sold in Taksim (the central district of Istanbul).
I’m not a seafood lover, and for a long time I couldn’t bring myself to try mussels, BUT...! After my friends literally shoved one thing into me one day, I fell in love with them forever. Dolma mussels are ready-made mussels stuffed with rice, which you pour lemon juice over when you open the shell. It's incredibly delicious! The only thing is that mussels are sold on trays almost all over Istanbul, but it is better to buy them in trusted places. Good mussels are made in the Ortakoy area and in normal cafes and restaurants. I don’t recommend trying it near the metro, again on the recommendation of Turkish friends.
(Turkish Çiğ köfte - raw meat cutlets, a traditional dish of Turkish cuisine). Making real chi kofte is a long process. The chopped meat is mixed with bulgur and hot seasonings and kneaded for a long, long time.
Several years ago, the Turkish Ministry of Health banned the sale of such dishes prepared without heat treatment, so now chi kofte is prepared from bulgur, many hot spices, walnuts and tomatoes. Usually they offer a choice of moderately spicy or very spicy cutlets.
Opposite our house there is a specialized shop where they prepare and sell very tasty chi kofte. Therefore, we usually do not eat them in a cafe, but buy them in bulk on the way home. It is very interesting to watch the seller at the same time. Wearing disposable gloves, he plucks a piece from a mound of finished minced meat and deftly forms a beautiful shaped cutlet, after which he places it in the tray. This process is so fast that in just a couple of minutes the tray is already full.
A generous portion of thin pita bread, salad, herbs, pomegranate sauce and lemon are included without fail.
Chi kofte is eaten with your hands, placing the cutlet in a fresh lettuce leaf, adding a sprig of parsley, a few drops of pomegranate sauce and lemon juice. Then all this is wrapped in a small piece of thin pita bread and eaten, washed down with the incomparable Turkish ayran.It's very, very tasty!
You can also order chi kofte in the form of durum (like shawarma, everything is the same, but wrapped in pita bread). You can try it almost anywhere.
(Turkish: Kokoreç) - warm, crispy bread stuffed with lamb offal, roasted on a spit, with tomatoes and spices. Hot pickled peppers are often added. Wash it down with ayran. Quite popular among both locals and tourists. My mother, having watched the Turkish series “Shards”, where one of the characters was a passionate admirer of kokorech, was eager to try it and, I must say, was completely delighted. She said: “Not for everyone, of course, but very tasty!” It’s better to try it in specialized street cafes, where only kokorec is prepared.
Well, now about the delicious dishes of Turkish cuisine that you can try in Istanbul cafes and restaurants.
Merdzhimek Chorbasy (Turkish Mercimek çorbası - lentil soup). Thick and very tasty puree soup, to which red pepper and lemon juice are added. I highly recommend it, with fresh lavash you will simply lick your fingers!
By the way, on this site there is a detailed recipe for preparing this wonderful one, and, as always, the recipe is very simple.
(Turkish Beyran) - a delicious spicy soup with rice and lamb, very similar to kharcho. Serve with fresh pita bread, lemon and a bowl of arugula. It is not found on menus everywhere; there are even several restaurants that specialize only in this soup. In general, it is common for Turks to have cafes and restaurants with only a couple of main dishes on the menu. And these places are the best, because, as a rule, they are a long-term family business and maintain their impeccable reputation.
Although my mother already wrote about this dish, I can’t help but mention it too. My favorite forever, incredibly delicious! Grilled meat, cut into thin slices, on hot pita bread, drizzled with hot butter, topped with delicious tomato sauce. Of course, it is served with Turkish yogurt and a plate of vegetables. It’s simply impossible to visit Turkey and not try Iskender. I highly recommend it!
(Turkish: Izgara köfte) - delicious cutlets, grilled with vegetables. There are many varieties of these cutlets, together with vegetables and tomato sauce - delicious!
Ichli kofte (Turkish İçli köfte) - very unusual cutlets, consisting of a thin crispy bulgur shell and a juicy meat filling inside. The filling is made from lamb and beef with the addition of walnuts and spices. Usually deep fried. Very filling and amazingly tasty!
I can’t help but mention one more dish of Turkish cuisine, namely... In general, if you open the menu, you will see that the name of many dishes is preceded by the name of the Turkish city, for example, Izmir koftesi, Adana kebab, Gaziantep izgara koftesi, etc. That is, the place where this dish was first prepared and invented is indicated. If you pay attention to the names of cafes and restaurants, you will also notice that it is unusual for Turks to call their establishments with beautiful names like “Mirabelle”, “Plyushechka”, etc. Their origin is very important for them. Even if the Turk himself was born in Istanbul, most likely the name of the city where his family is from will be present on the sign. This is the Turkish mentality. Just like after they ask your name, the second question is “where are you from?” and the gimp of knowledge about this place. But this is a lyrical digression.
So, Adana kebab. I’ll say right away that I have never tried better kebab than in the city of Adana itself. But, I must admit, this dish is also excellent in Istanbul. Adana kebab is a grilled long, juicy, quite spicy cutlet, served with a side dish of grilled vegetables, yogurt, spicy tomato sauce, many plates of vegetable appetizers and, of course, fresh hot pita bread.
In general, Turkish hot meat dishes are mainly cooked on the grill, so the smell of the finished dish starts to drive you crazy. The portions of real Adana kebab are very impressive, to put it mildly, masculine. But it’s absolutely impossible to tear yourself away. I highly recommend you try this truly Turkish dish. If you are not a fan of spicy food, then thick natural yogurt, which is served with almost all meat dishes and which is an integral part of Turkish cuisine, will always smooth out any spiciness.
I’ll make a reservation right away, in Moscow, in a cafe like “Shykydym”, don’t even waste your money on supposedly Turkish dishes, my disappointment and indignation at the miniature portion of Adana kebab the size of a sausage knew no bounds, not to mention the taste.
Based on several unsuccessful visits to unfamiliar cafes, I would advise you to use the Foursquare app on your phone. I understand that it doesn’t sound very romantic after describing luxurious dishes, but this application presents the ratings of all cafes according to reviews of visitors, and not only according to the ratings of foreign tourists, but also according to the reviews of the Turks themselves - connoisseurs of their native cuisine. I am very friendly with this program, especially when traveling to new places, there have been no failures so far. 🙂
We can talk endlessly about the dishes of Turkish cuisine; it is a rich cuisine, quite healthy, since the Turks eat a lot of vegetables and in general are extremely sensitive to food. It is absolutely incomprehensible to the Turks how it is possible to eat yesterday’s dinner the next day; serve everything to them piping hot, but this has a special oriental charm. Therefore, when you come to Turkey, forget about Starbucks, Burger Kings and other nonsense, and enjoy luxurious Turkish dishes, ending your meal with traditional Turkish coffee or tea.
And, of course, when you arrive in Istanbul, try to see as many of its attractions as possible.
All of Istanbul's most famous historical monuments are concentrated in and around the Sultanahmet area. This is a former Christian temple, and now monuments, and many, many others. It is from these attractions that all excursions of tourists coming to Istanbul begin. In my articles I will try to tell as much detail as possible about these ancient structures and show them in photos. I hope you find it interesting reading.
See you in the next story about Istanbul!
Don't know what to cook with meat? Kofte (Turkish cutlets) is the best dish for a quick dinner for the whole family. Step-by-step recipe with photos. Video recipe.
Recipe contents:
Turkish cuisine is one of the top ten national cuisines. It is the most versatile, and the cooking technology suits every taste. Turkish dishes have taken root all over the world because... The recipes are varied and very simple. Refined taste is imparted by a combination of affordable and simple products. This review will be devoted to Turkish cutlets - kofte.
Turkish kofte can come in different shapes and sizes. The main secret of cooking is well-kneaded minced meat. They are prepared from various varieties of traditional meat, as well as from grain cereals. Each inhabited region of Turkey keeps its secrets of preparing treats and a unique recipe. The proposed recipe for incredibly aromatic and appetizing cutlets is easy to make at home yourself. The food has an unearthly taste, incredible juiciness and softness.
Medium fat pork was selected for cooking. Highly lean meat will make kofte very dry. If the meat is still lean, then add a little softened butter or twisted lard to the minced meat. Turkish cutlets made from mixed minced beef and lamb are especially tasty. Minced meat can be supplemented with various products: sauce, nuts, vegetables, breadcrumbs, etc. You can serve any side dish with the cutlets: fried potatoes, French fries, mashed potatoes, boiled buckwheat porridge, Turkish bulgur pilaf, etc. It is very tasty to serve Turkish cutlets with fried tomatoes and sweet peppers.
- Calorie content per 100 g - 290 kcal.
- Number of servings - 15 pcs.
- Cooking time - 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Pork with small layers of fat - 500 g
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Walnuts, garlic, sesame seeds - optional
- Salt - 1 tsp. or to taste
- Eggs - 1 pc.
- Vegetable oil - for deep-frying cutlets
- Ground crackers - 50 g
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
Step-by-step preparation of kofte (Turkish cutlets), recipe with photo:
1. Wash the pork under running water and dry with a paper towel. Grind the meat in a meat grinder with a medium wire rack. Peel the onions, wash and also twist.
2. Add ground crackers, salt, black pepper and any herbs and spices to the minced meat.
3. Add eggs to the food.
4. Mix the products well. This is one of the main rules of a successful dish. Do this process with your hands, passing the minced meat between your fingers. Knead the dough for a long time, at least 7 minutes. You can even beat him off a little. Use your hands to pick it up and forcefully throw it back into the bowl.
5. Form oblong cutlets and place them in a sieve, in which you lower them into a pan with boiling vegetable oil. Fry the products for several minutes until golden brown.
In the original, Çig kofte (pronounced "chii köfte" in Turkish) are Turkish cutlets made from raw small bulgur andraw minced meatwith tomato paste and hot spices. The minced meat is kneaded for a long time and thoroughly, so the raw meat is “stewed” by the warmth of your hands and “smoked” by the heat of the spices. But I have a recipe without meat and with less effort. Instead of meat - crushed potatoes. :)
- 2 small potatoes (to make a glass of masher)
- 1 tbsp. small bulgur
- 2/3 tbsp. boiling water
- 1 small onion
- 1 medium clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. pepper paste
- 1-2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (hot paprika)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp ground sweet red pepper (sweet paprika)
- 0.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp isota (processed red pepper flakes black)
- 1 tsp Turkish pomegranate syrup (nar ekşisi)
- 1.5 tsp. salt
- lettuce leaves
- 1-2 lemons
- pita bread and parsley leaves (optional)
Note: teaspoon is Turkish dessert spoon
Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes and boil.
Drain some of the water from the finished potatoes into a glass. In a large bowl, crush the potatoes, adding a third of a glass of broth so that the puree is very liquid. (I boiled it “in its jacket” to better preserve the vitamins, peeled it almost hot and added a third of a glass of boiling water to the pound.) In the hot poundadd a glass of fine bulgur. Mix quickly. The mass immediately turns out to be quite thick.
According to the recipe, you need to knead the mass thoroughly while it is still warm, but I just close the lid tightly and leave the bulgur for half an hour. swell. Knead a little and you get a “steep dough”. Cover again with a lid so that the bulgur continues to reach its proper condition.
In the meantime, we wash the lettuce leaves and parsley. Grind the onion and garlic in a food processor to a pulp (or grate the onion and pass the garlic through a press). Squeeze out the pulp a little. We don't need juice.
Add onion-garlic gruel, tomato and pepper paste, pomegranate syrup (if not, then without it), olive (or any other vegetable) oil to the bulgur “dough”, add hot and sweet paprika, cumin, salt and isot (if not , then without it). The cutlets should be very hot and spicy. I have a double dose of spices. Let's taste it.Now comes the hard part. The mixture must be thoroughly kneaded so that the taste of tomato paste and onions disappears. 30-40 minutes. Otherwise, it won’t be tasty, and you might even get heartburn. :) By the way, for a darker color you should add more tomato paste, but then you’ll have to knead longer.
Chii kofte is usually eaten on a lettuce leaf and sprinkled with lemon. And in Istanbul, as a rule, it is served in pita bread. Place a couple of lettuce leaves, a handful of parsley leaves on the pita bread, cutlets in a row on top + a little lemon juice and roll into a roll. I highly recommend it. :)
Raw cutlet or Chih kofte (forgive my Turkish) is another dish from my collection of Turkish recipes. It sounds scary and unusual. But, in fact, it is no more unusual than a Tartar steak. I would say that it is much nicer than Tartar steak. In short, if someone does not like the prepared dish, then at the end I will write how to fix it. Yes, and don’t write nasty things about me - this is just a recipe for Turkish cuisine. I'm not going to bully anyone. If you don't like it, pass by.
Ingredients (for 4 small servings):
Beef 200 grams. The meat must be very fresh. Conversations from sellers, such as: “Listen, just in the morning the spruce grass and mychal” do not work. You need really fresh meat. If there is a “fed” butcher, he’s the class;
Bulgur (special type of eastern wheat) – 200 grams;
Medium sized bulb;
A few cloves of garlic;
1 teaspoon cumin;
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper;
150 grams of tomato paste or 200 grams of finely chopped tomatoes in their own juice;
50-70 grams olive oil
A couple of tablespoons of apple or balsamic vinegar
Half a lemon or lime
Easy to prepare. The process just requires a careful attitude towards yourself.
Let the bulgur cook. Since it takes about 10 minutes to cook, and it needs time to cool a little, we will have time to prepare everything. Fill the bulgur with water twice its volume. Place a cup of bulgur, pour two identical cups of water and place on medium heat. Let it stand there and absorb moisture. We have something to keep ourselves busy.
We pass the meat and onions three or four times through a meat grinder with a fine mesh. It should almost look like meat paste.
All the spices must be put in a mortar, garlic must be crushed on top and properly passed with a pestle so that the garlic is crushed and releases its oil, which, mixed with crushed spices, will lead us to the land of wondrous aromas. Pour olive oil over the crushed seasonings. Let the oil absorb all these aromatic oils. You may or may not add salt to this mixture.
Is bulgur ready? This can be determined by the fact that there is no water left in the saucepan and the cereal is boiled. Yes, you can just try a couple of grains on your tongue.
Now - the most important thing in the process of preparing this dish.
Combine minced meat puree, bulgur, flavored butter with spice scraps and tomato paste or chopped tomatoes. You can also add balsamic or apple cider vinegar.
Mix the minced meat very thoroughly. I stirred for about 15 minutes. You should get a homogeneous mass that exudes super aromas. While mixing, you can add salt to taste if you have not added salt to the aromatic oil.
Basically, at the end of the kneading process, you have a finished dish.
Form a patty with your hands. Place it on a plate, covered with or without a lettuce leaf, it doesn’t matter. Cut the lemon or lime into wedges.
Use by squeezing lemon or lime onto each cutlet piece.
This is actually a delicious dish. Very aromatic and spicy.
The most important thing is the freshest meat. I was not very sure about the freshness of my meat, so my wife and I just tried a few pieces of this cutlet. I’ll say right away that there were no consequences.
But, if you, like my wife and I, were unable to eat all the resulting dish, or you simply didn’t like it, it doesn’t matter!
Place the minced meat in a baking dish, pour in tomato juice, you can crack a couple of eggs into it, top with cheese and put in the oven for half an hour. In half an hour you will have a delicious casserole! It is also delicious to eat with lime or lemon juice.
Make your loved ones happy – and they will make you happy! ©
Photos are clickable – they enlarge when you click on them. ©
National Turkish dish, originating from Urfa. Real raw cutlets are prepared with minced meat, which is placed raw, but in the process of prolonged grinding with your hands actually becomes cooked. The peculiarity of the cutlets is their spiciness - it is truly very very spicy. The preparation uses a special hot pepper - isot. The readiness of the cutlets is checked by throwing them to the ceiling. Well-kneaded minced meat should not stick to it. We will prepare a simplified version - cutlets without meat and not so spicy. Adjust the spiciness yourself by decreasing or increasing the amount of pepper. Well, we won’t throw it up to the ceiling (it’s a pity for the ceiling).
Need to:
3 cups small bulgur (cutlet)
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons pepper paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 dessert spoons salt
2 dessert spoons coarsely ground red hot pepper (pul biber)
1 tablespoon isot pepper
4-5 pieces of green onions
half a bunch of parsley
1. Place bulgur, pasta in a wide and large dish (I have a baking tray), add seasonings (salt and pepper). Grate the onion and garlic on a fine grater. Mix by rubbing the minced meat on the bottom of the tray. Add vegetable oil and knead, knead, knead. In general, the main feature of the recipe is well-kneaded minced meat.
2. Slowly add warm water and knead until the water is absorbed. Add water and knead until you feel with your hands that the minced meat has become soft.
3. Lastly, add finely chopped green onions and parsley. Mix everything well again.
4. In principle, you can eat with a fork, but it is much more pleasant to form cutlets in your palms. Take one cutlet, sprinkle it with a little lemon juice, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, and wrap the lettuce leaf in a piece of pita bread and eat it all.)))
