Step 1

First sterilize your glass jars. Wash your jars and the lids in hot soapy water, but do not dry them. Instead, leave them to stand upside down on a roasting tray, while they're still wet. Pop the tray of clean, wet jars and lids (removing all the plastic parts), in to a preheated oven at 160ºC for about 15 minutes. Then let them cool down.

Step 2

Place half of the garlic cloves at the bottom of the jar. Then add the coarsely sliced cucumbers, topped by the remaining garlic cloves. Gently pat down and pack them tight and evenly.

Step 3

If you are pickling beets, carrots and turnips, follow the same procedure. Place half of the garlic cloves at the bottom of a separate jar. Then add the coarsely sliced beets carrots and turnips, topped by the remaining garlic cloves. Gently pat down and pack them tight and evenly.

Step 4

Combine the 340ml drinking water, 50ml distilled malt vinegar and 1 tbsp rock salt in a jug. Stir and dissolve the salt completely. Pour the mixture into the pickled cucumber jar, making sure the liquid covers the top of the vegetables. Place the parsley on top, close tightly and seal. Gently shake the jar to make sure the liquid reaches all corners and distributed evenly. Store in a cool, dark place, for 3 weeks, in the case of pickled cucumbers. Do not open the jar before this period, as this will spoil the pickling process, letting the air into the jar.

Step 5

For pickling beetroots, turnip and carrots in a separate glass jar, follow the same procedure and prepare the same pickling solution with 340ml drinking water, 50ml distilled malt vinegar and 1 tbsp rock salt, combined and fully dissolved. Pour the mixture into the pickled beets, carrots and turnip jar, making sure the liquid covers the top of the vegetables. Place the parsley on top, close tightly and seal. Gently shake the jar to make sure the liquid reaches all corners and distributed evenly. Store in a cool, dark place, for 4 weeks, in the case of pickled beets, carrots and turnips. Do not open the jar before this period, as this will spoil the pickling process, letting the air into the jar.

Step 6

Once pickles, tursu ready, open the jar and enjoy your turşu, pickles, as part of mezze, with salads, with savoury pastries, grills and kebabs as well as with casserole style Turkish home cooking and pilaf. Once the jar is opened, keep your pickles, turşu in the fridge, covered. It stays fresh for 2-3 months, when stored in the fridge, in a tightly sealed glass jar.

Step 7

Please take the yoghurt out of the fridge and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour before you ensemble the dish. For the garlicky yoghurt, combine the yoghurt with chopped garlic in a medium sized bowl. Season with salt to your taste, combine well and set aside.

Step 8

Pour 2tbsp olive oil on a wide heavy pan and stir in the onions and carrots. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes, over medium to high heat.

Step 9

Stir in the ground (minced) meat, garlic and chopped peppers, combine well. Sauté for 4-5 minutes over medium to high heat, stirring continuously.

Step 10

Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and 240ml water, combine well. Season with salt and ground black pepper and cook over medium heat for 30 – 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce at the end of this period; check the seasoning and add more salt or ground black pepper if needed. Stir in the chopped parsley and combine well, turn the heat off.

Step 11

Towards the last 10 minutes of the meat sauce to get ready, pour in the hot water to a medium sized pan and stir in your pasta (I like to use shell shaped conchiglie pasta, which reminds me the manti shape). Cook your pasta, al dente, as per the cooking instructions in the package (conchiglie pasta cooks al dente in 10 minutes). Drain the water and drizzle a little olive oil over and combine, so the pasta doesn’t stick.

Step 12

In a small sauté pan, drizzle 2tbsp olive oil and stir in the pul biber or red pepper flakes. Stir and gently infuse the pul biber to the olive oil, over medium to low heat, for 1 -2 minutes, turn the heat off.

Step 13

You are now ready to ensemble your cheat manti feast; using a serving spoon, place the pasta on a plate. Spread the 3 – 4 tablespoonfuls of the meaty sauce over the pasta and scatter a few small dollops of garlicky yoghurt over the sauce. Drizzle pul biber infused olive oil over the garlicky yoghurt. Serve immediately.

Step 14

Afiyet Olsun.

Step 15

Preheat oven to 200C/400F

Step 16

Spread the eggplant/aubergine chunks on a wide tray, sprinkle salt over and leave aside for about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, squeeze the excess water out of the aubergines/eggplants.

Step 17

Toss all the vegetables with olive oil, oregano, pul biber/red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper, on a large baking tray. Please do that with your (clean) hands and make sure all the spices and olive oil coat the vegetables; this really helps to infuse all the spices and olive oil to the vegetables to enhance their flavour. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes, turning them around the midway. By the end of this roasting, the vegetables will start to get charred along the edges and softened. Transfer the roasted vegetables over a large baking dish.

Step 18

Combine the 285ml/10fl oz hot water with tomato paste and mix well. Stir in the can of chopped tomatoes, rinsed chickpeas, cumin; season with salt and pepper and combine well. Pungent cumin goes well with earthy chickpeas.

Step 19

Pour this mixture over the roasted vegetables in the baking dish and gently combine well. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your taste.

Step 20

Bake in the preheated oven for another 20 – 25 minutes, until all vegetables cooked, browned at edges and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle chopped parsley over, ready to serve.

Step 21

Serve with crusty bread or rice pilaf aside (sharp feta cheese is great crumbled over too, as an option). I also love this wholesome casserole over the smoked eggplant béchamel sauce, as a vegetarian topping for the Turkish classic, Hunkar Begendi – Sultan’s Delight.

Step 22

Afiyet Olsun.