Fried Eggplants with Yogurt

October 31, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner, Meze

Eggplants are one of my all time favorite vegetables. They just taste amazing whichever way you cook them. You can stew them, roast them, fry them. It all works. But if you ask me to choose, fried eggplants get my top vote. This recipe doesn’t use batter to fry the eggplants which results in super light, earthy and melt-in-your-mouth eggplants.

Fried eggplant is a common summer meze in Turkish cuisine. They are served either with yogurt or tomato sauce. The tomato sauce version is called shakshuka (not to be confused with the poached egg dish from Middle East). For this recipe, I will use yogurt and save the shakshuka recipe for another blog post. The yogurt in this recipe balances the earthy flavor of the eggplant so well and lightens up the dish.

I highly recommend serving this dish shortly after freshly frying the eggplants. Eating them freshly fried is very similar to the satisfaction of eating a freshly baked cookie, right out of the oven. I used to steal a couple freshly fried slices from the plate when my mom was busy frying another batch and inevitably, get scolded. I have to admit, I never felt guilty.

Yields: 4-6 servings Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 eggplants

1 and 1/2 cups vegetable oil

5 spoonfuls of plain yogurt

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

1. Wash the eggplants and slice off their caps. Peel the eggplants in a stripe pattern, alternating by peeling and not peeling lengthwise (see pictures).

2. Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices.

3. Fill a large bowl with cold tap water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt into the water and stir until it dissolves. Put all the sliced eggplants into the salt water. This helps with two things: one, it keeps the eggplant slices from browning and two, it removes the bitter taste of the eggplant.

4. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil. Eggplants absorb a lot of oil, so instead of adding all of the oil at once, I add it to the pan in increments as I fry.

5. Using a paper towel, pat dry 5-6 slices of eggplants and transfer to the frying pan containing the hot oil. A note of caution: if you don’t pat the eggplants dry, water touching the hot oil will create splashes and you can burn yourself, so please don’t skip this step.

6. Fry each side of the eggplant until it reaches a golden color. In the beginning, when your oil is not hot enough, it might take up to 2-3 minutes per side to fry the eggplant. Once the oil is hot enough, it will take as quick as 45 seconds to a minute per side to fry the eggplant.

7. Place a paper towel on a large plate. Transfer the fried eggplant slices onto the paper towel to soak excess oil.

8. Continue to repeat steps 5-7 until all eggplants slices are fried, adding more oil to the pan when needed.

9. For the sauce, combine yogurt and garlic in a bowl. Add salt to taste. Mix until the yogurt is smooth. Drizzle some yogurt sauce on the eggplants or serve on the side.

Bulgur Rice Pilaf

October 31, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner

Bulgur is a very commonly used whole grain in Turkish cuisine and a very versatile ingredient. It is also quite high in protein and fiber. This bulgur rice pilaf is the perfect alternative to white rice, brown rice or quinoa and pairs well with pretty much any vegetable or protein. The tomatoes and peppers in this recipe make this pilaf very fragrant and flavorful which reminds me of home.

Finding bulgur in grocery stores can be a bit challenging depending on where you live. So far I have been able to find it in bulk sections of grocery stores, Turkish supermarkets and at Whole Foods. Bob's Red Mill brand also sells bulgur and you can find their products on Amazon and most large grocery stores.

I prefer to cook any type of rice on the stove. It is the Turkish way and it is what I am used to. To eliminate the guess work or burnt rice, my best hack is to use a sauté pan with a glass lid. You can see when the water boils and when your rice is done and by not removing the lid you end up with perfect, fluffy rice.

Yields: 6-8 servings Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 small or medium tomatoes, diced

1 anaheim (spicy) or cubanelle (sweet) pepper (if can't find either 1/2 green bell pepper), diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups large grain bulgur

Salt and pepper to taste

3 and 1/2 cups of water or stock

Preparation

1. Dice all the tomatoes, onion and the green pepper.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add the peppers, cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste, all the bulgur and salt and pepper. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the tomato paste is incorporated.

4. Add the water (or stock) and give everything a stir. Cover it with a lid. Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and rest for 8-10 minutes before serving.

Mom's Meatballs

October 31, 2019 by Gizem in Dinner

This quick and easy meatball recipe is what my mom used to make for dinner when she got back from work and needed to whip up something fast. The Turkish word "köfte" which originates from Farsi literally means "pounded" and in Turkish it refers to pretty much any meatball. The Turkish meatballs sold at restaurants mostly use ground lamb. Mom's meatballs are a home cooked version of the same delicious recipe.

These meatballs are a staple in my kitchen and they work with any meat. If you want to impress your guests you can use ground lamb, for a healthier alternative you can use ground turkey or lean ground beef. These meatballs also work great for grilling. If you want, you can also make them ahead and freeze for up to a month.

Yields: 4 servings Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, diced or grated

1 egg

A handful of parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Knead with your hand until everything is incorporated.

2. Pour the olive oil into a pan.

3. Using your hands, form oval shaped meatballs and transfer them to the pan.

4. Set the heat to high and cook for 1-2 minutes until both sides of the meatballs are browned.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with lid and cook for 7-8 minutes until cooked through.