traditional turkish recipes

Scrumptious Turkish pastries made with potato and cheese wrapped in yufka sheets.

Potato Borek

potatoes

butter

eggs

milk

100 g kasar cheese, mozzarella or cheddar cheese ((grated))

g feta cheese ((crumbled))

½ TSP chili ((optional))

TSP black pepper

TSP salt

parsley ((chopped))

egg egg

sesame seeds

Fill a medium saucepan with cold water and add the potatoes in.

Put the pan on medium heat, bring to a boil and gently simmer the potatoes on low heat for 30 minutes or until soft in the middle.

Cool the potatoes down under running cold water and peel.

Grate the potatoes and set them aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the milk along with the melted butter.

Add the mixture into the bowl with the grated potatoes.

Add chopped parsley, feta and kasar cheese, salt, freshly ground pepper and chilli (if using) to the bowl and give it a good stir.

Making the Potato Filling

Preheat the oven to 180 C°.

Lay a sheet of yufka on a work surface and spoon ⅓ of the potato filling onto it. Spread the mixture evenly with the back of a spoon, taking care not to tear the yufka.

Place the second yufka sheet on top and cover it with another ⅓ of the filling.

Trim the sides of the yufka into a square and place the trimmings on top of the filling.

Repeat the same with the last yufka and the potato filling.

Roll the yufka sheet carefully into a neat cylinder.

Cut the cylinder into two equal pieces.

Wrap them with cling film and then place them into the freezer for about an hour or until semi-frozen.

Wrap the cylinder with cling film and place it into the freezer for about an hour or until slightly frozen and easy to handle.

Cut the cylinder crosswise into slices two fingers thick using a sharp knife, and arrange them on a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray(s).

Eggwash the slices and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or nigella seeds.

Cook them in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Making the Borek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLAVa-2aDAg

Potato borek is a delicious Turkish pastry made of a cheesy potato filling wrapped in crispy thin yufka sheets. For the full recipe please visit https://cookingorgeous.com/blog/potato-borek/
These savoury vegetarian pies are a great snack, tasty breakfast on the go or a perfect appetiser for parties and gatherings.

How to Make Potato Borek - Burekas?

This delicious vegetarian spinach borek is great to serve as an appetizer, for breakfast, or a snack on the go.

Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

olive oil

onion ((finely diced))

garlic ((finely chopped))

½ finely chopped red chilli (optional) (or ¼ tsp chili flakes)

tomato paste

TSP paprika

½ TSP salt

spinach

full fat milk

vegetable oil

Heat a large pan or wok on medium heat.

Add olive oil and gently saute the onions and garlic until translucent.

Stir in the tomato paste, chili, salt, pepper, and paprika, saute for another minute.

Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes on high heat until the water from the spinach totally evaporates.

Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using for borek.

Cooking the Spinach Filling

Put 2 egg whites+ 1 whole egg in a bowl and whisk lightly.

Pour in the milk and vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Set aside to use when required.

Preparing the Sauce

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven).

Line a rectangular baking tray size of 35cm x 25 cm or a round tray size of 28cm dia with a baking sheet.

Lay a piece of yufka on a work surface and scatter 2-3 tbsp of the sauce on it, spread the sauce evenly using a pastry brush.

Divide the filling into 3 and scatter ⅓ of it on yufka evenly. Then cut the yufka in quarters. You will have 4 large triangles.

Take one of the triangles and roll it starting from the large side into a long sausage shape.

Swirl the long sausage into a rose shape, tuck the loose end piece underneath the rose.

Repeat the same for the rest of the yufka pieces, you should have 12 roses out of 3 yufka sheets.

Place them on a baking tray and brush with melted butter and then egg yolk.

Sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds.

Place the tray in the oven and cook the boreks for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Shaping the Rose Shaped Borek

Sutlac (Turkish version of classic Rice Pudding) is a thick and creamy milk-based dessert that has a very special place in Turkish cuisine.

Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)

¼ l milk

rice

sugar

150 ml double cream

vanilla bean paste

cinnamon or chopped nuts ((to garnish))

Measure the rice and place it along with the milk in a large pot on low heat. Don&#39;t be tempted to wash it as we need the starch from the rice to thicken our pudding!

Gently simmer for 35-40 minutes stirring often (until the rice has swelled) to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the sugar, cream, and vanilla to the milk and then cook it for another 35 to 45 minutes, until the rice is really soft and the pudding has thickened.

At that stage, if you want to create caramelized skin on your rice pudding, divide it into oven-safe ramekins.

Preheat your oven grill to 200° C (390° F).

Place the ramekins on a tray and place them under the grill for 10 minutes, until the top of the pudding is nicely caramelized. This will help to create a deliciously caramelized taste. Check constantly to make sure they don&#39;t burn. 

Alternatively, you can serve your rice pudding chilled. Simply divide them into individual serving bowls and let them cool down to room temperature.

Sprinkle on some ground cinnamon or chopped nuts before serving.

This is absolutely delicious! All my guests loved this wonderful pudding. Looks and tastes gorgeous.

So easy to make and was delicious! I used just milk, as I didn’t have any cream. So yum!

This is by far the BEST rice pudding recipe I’ve ever made. It's thick and creamy and just absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention very easy to put together. Highly recommend this to everyone.

This is an incredibly easy recipe to follow. I love rice pudding so I had to follow this one. Turned out very well.

I’ve made this several times for my husband, who is a big rice pudding fan, and he loves it every time! Thank you!

First time I have made rice pudding and everyone loves it. Thank you!

I have made this 4 times now in the past week! I follow the recipe exactly as it’s written and it turns out perfect every time. This is a new favourite in my family &amp; I can’t thank you enough!

Your recipe is similar to mine. But, for novice cooks less is more. This pudding as you said is the traditional desert of Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries.   I have seen other techniques but too complicated and not. Middle Eastern..I sometimes think the word "creamy" misses the definition of creamy and becomes lumpy bits of rice and some kind of egg mixture...oh well...cheers !!

Well, I used "pudding rice" or short grain..rice and I washed the rice until the water was relatively clear (rice is chemically sprayed to protect from bugs that can destroy a farmer's crop.
This I did until water was relatively clear. 1 cup rice to 3cups filtered water. Bring to boil, put lid on pot and slowly simmer for about 25
 minutes water is absorbed...add 1/2 cup sugar and 3 cups whole milk. Bring to almost a boil, stir gently for thickness is starting add 1 cup heavy cream and continue stirring
Until you sense the pudding is thick enough. Add pinch of salt and 3 Tbl. Rose water...stir until you see the thick pudding has thickened sufficiently. With ladle transfer 
pudding to heat proof Pyrex cups. Cover with plastic wrap  to prevent a 
skin to form ..

My favourite pudding! It is on my list to do for the weekend. Thanks for the recipe.

Fantastic recipe, I prefer chilled with some homemade strawberry jam on it. Everyone loved it!

Keskul is a light and creamy Turkish Almond Pudding made with milk, rice flour, corn starch, sugar and ground almonds.

Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

l full-fat milk (whole milk)

220 g caster sugar

tbsp rice flour

tbsp corn starch

vanilla paste

g almond

g desiccated coconut ((optional))

pistachio and red fruits

Place the egg yolk, sugar, rice flour, and corn starch in a saucepan and mix.

Add ½ cup of milk to the mix and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Add the remaining milk.

Add the ground almond and desiccated coconut to the saucepan, and mix well.

Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.

Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add the vanilla paste.

When the pudding gets thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture into serving bowls. You can check the consistency of the pudding with a spoon. It should be covering the back of the spoon without dripping.

Let the bowls chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then garnish them with ground pistachio, coconut flakes, and red fruits before serving.

I do love a light and flavorful dessert like this one! Perfect for summer parties too! Thanks for the recipe!

Kıymalı Makarna is a comforting and easy-to-make Turkish pasta dish with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and simple spices.

Kıymalı Makarna - Turkish Pasta with Ground Beef

400 g ground beef

tomato

salt

tsp black pepper

paprika

water

pasta

¼ tsp flaked chilli (pul biber)

Greek yogurt or plain natural yogurt

garlic ((minced))

parsley ((to garnish))

Place a large pan over medium heat.

Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes until browned.

Add olive oil and chopped onions, then sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent.

Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add in the tomato paste and mix well before adding grated tomatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika

Pour in ⅓ cup of water and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Making the Ground Beef Sauce

Start cooking the pasta while preparing the meat sauce.

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot

Add salt, then add the pasta.

Cook according to package instructions until al dente.

Drain and set it aside until the sauce is ready.

Cooking the Pasta

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the paprika and chili. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, set it aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together yogurt, garlic paste, and a pinch of salt. Set it aside.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the beef sauce.

Mix well so the pasta is fully coated. Let everything cook together for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve hot topped with a dollop of garlic yogurt and a drizzle of chili butter.

Preparing the Toppings and Serving

These juicy and delicious beef koftas are perfect for the BBQ to entertain guests but you can also cook them on the grill or on a skillet.

Inegol Kofte - Turkish Beef Kofta Recipe

beef

breadcrumbs

tbsp bicarbonate of soda

lemon juice

onions

Mix the mince with salt, water, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and knead for about 6-7 minutes until firm.

Cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, mix the lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl then add it to the mince.

Add the grated onions as well and mix them all until nicely combined.

Take walnut size pieces from the mixture and turn them into a finger shape. Alternatively, shape them like small burger patties if you want to cook them on the BBQ.

Repeat until all the mixture is finished. You should end up with around 30-32 koftes. Place them on a plate, cover and put them back in the fridge for another 2-3 hours.

Grill the koftes on the BBQ or oven-grill or shallow fry on a skillet for about 5 to 6 minutes until they become golden brown.

This is my favourite kofte and I always wanted to learn how to make it. It is definitely on my list to try this weekend!

Made this for a cookout and it was a huge hit. Thank you for great recipe!!!

Top 6 traditional turkish recipes recipes from across the web

The most viewed traditional turkish recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Potato Borek

Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

Kıymalı Makarna - Turkish Pasta wit...

Inegol Kofte - Turkish Beef Kofta R...

Top 6 traditional turkish recipes recipes from across the web

The most viewed traditional turkish recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Potato Borek

Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

Kıymalı Makarna - Turkish Pasta wit...

Inegol Kofte - Turkish Beef Kofta R...

The most viewed traditional turkish recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine