Life 'n' Such

Guess who got me interested in Turkish language; Dear AyseBetul. She is Pinaar and Cuneyt’s daughter. They are the first family  from Turkey that I met. I was fascinated and impressed by their food, their language and even more by them. I ate for the very first time, borek, pogaca, baklava etc at their place. AyseBetul was about 6 months old when I first saw her, so basically I had to learn small turkish words, so that I could talk to her and atleast understand her.

Ofcourse, 6 years have gone by and now I have not only learnt lots of Turkish words, recipes, but I have found so many common words between Turkish and Hindi (common language spoken in India). Amazing huh?

Oh ya, and ofcourse Pinaar’s other kids are Serdar (means Captain, in Turkish and Hindi – he is so cute, I heard today, some girls from his class like him ) and Bahar (means Spring in Turkish and Hindi). Now what was I telling you about, common words.

Pinaar says that generally common ingredients are used to make different types of pogaca, you may replace milk with yogurt sometimes, margarine for oil, etc

Ingredients:

1 tbsp yeast,
1 tbsp sugar,
1/2 cup warm water,
1/2 cup oil,
1 cup warm milk,
1 egg
salt, about 1 tsp
Flour (As much as needed)
1 egg for brushing the tops (used later in the recipe)

For filling:

cheese (feta/cottage/turkish etc) with parsley, or meat, or potatoes

Method:

First soak the yeast and sugar in the warm water, for about 15 minutes (or you see bubbles). Now add mix the oil, milk, egg, and salt to this. Mix, then add flour a little bit at a time, and keep kneading for quite sometime! (Yeah I mean it, the more you mix, the softer your bread will get) Finally, stop adding the flour, when the dough is soft (The turkish women, told me that it should be as soft as your earlobe, and then I asked them what if, someones earlobes are not soft? I know, I am being silly )
Then let the dough sit for about 20 minutes (It will rise). Now pinch out some balls, and roll them to form small discs/circles, put your filling in it. Fold it to get a semi-circle. Gently press the open end.

As you are doing this, lay them on the baking tray. When all are done, brush the tops with egg yolk. Let it rest for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

After 30 minutes, they will be bigger in size. Bake this at 350 deg F.

Remove tray, cover with a dry towel for a few minutes. Thats it. Eat them warm.

You could make them earlier and freeze them in plastic bags, and microwave and serve them.

9 Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

Well, this recipe is possible if you have sun-dried vegetables like eggplants (called as baingan in India) and peppers (green peppers, red peppers (called simla mirch in India). So if you can dry them in your own homes, great! Give this a try. Even people who dont like eggplants will like this one.

Asuman made this today for the baby shower.

Ingredients:

6 medium size potatoes (as much or as few, depending on number of people eating this) cut in cubes, and deep fried in oil.
dried pepper and dried eggplants, boiled in water, till tender
2 onions, cut in long thin ribbons
1 spoon tomato paste,
1/2 turkish teacup oil for cooking

For the sauce:

garlic grated,
yogurt
Method:

Fry the onions in oil, till they are transparent in color. Add the tomato paste to this. Mix for a couple minutes. Add the boiled vegetables to this. Mix again. Add salt.

Now arrange the fried potatoes in your serving dish. On top, put the cooked vegetables. Serve this with garlic mixed in yogurt on the side.

Thats it. Now only if I wasn’t lazy to dry the veggies!

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

This is so good, I thought its chicken kebabs

Firdaus made them last week, when they all visited us. She made it the same afternoon, and said that they are really easy and fast. And as you all know how I love easy and super fast recipes, I had to add it to my blog.

These kebabs or fish cakes are made with canned tuna fish, but she said, you can use whichever fish you like.

Ingredients:

2 cans tuna fish in water, drained
salt, red chilli powder (mirch), black pepper (kali mirch), garam masala, turmeric (haldi)
2 medium sized boiled potatoes,
bread crumbs
1 egg
fresh cilantro chopped, fresh hot green peppers finely chopped (optional).

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients, and shallow fry till golden brown in color. Done.
I am writing this recipe from my memory. And as I am getting older, you know, my memory is not as sharp as it was before, so I am going to recheck this with Firdaus, and update if necessary.

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I was almost fooled the first time I saw this. I was so sure this was made with pistachios (or pistas as called in India)! But then my friends told me that it wasnt pistachios, it was spinach!!

Can you imagine a cake made with Spinach??? This is soooooooo delicious!! And a good way to get some green leafy vegetable, right??

I think only Asiye and Ayse Gul make it. It is really a easy recipe by Asiye, who is from Turkey too, and has a fantastic son; Hakan. He talks like a big man, and I dont think he is even 3 .

Definitely give this a try. You will be shocked!

Ingredients:

For cake batter:

Spinach 1 cup chopped,
1/2 turkish teacup water,
4 eggs,
2 turkish teacup sugar,
2 turkish teacup flour,
1 packet/ tsp vanilla,
1 packet/tsp baking powder

For filling:

1 banana sliced,
1 or 2 cups of pudding/krema (the recipe for this is listed in Rullo pasta)

For topping:
1 box whipped cream (thawed)

Method:

First blend the spinach and the water together. Then beat the eggs and sugar together for a couple minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients listed under the batter. Bake this at 350 deg F, until the top is golden in color, and the center is all done.

Let it cool for a few minutes.

Then cut the cake, through the middle to get 2 equal halves. Pour and spread the fillin on the bottom half, and arrange the banana slices on them. Pour the remaining pudding on this.

Now place the other half of the cake on top of this. Let it cool completely and refrigerate.

Finally with a spatula, spread the whipped cream to cover the cake completely.

You may garnish/decorate with kiwi sliced, or sprinkle crushed pistachios or anything you like.

another topping for the cake: Strawberries!!

2 Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

This is oh so good!!!!!!!!!!! This is made by Nilgun again today for the baby shower. Nilgun is from Turkey, as most of my friends She has an adorable baby girl; Elif. She has beautiful big eyes.
I will also tell a little variation that Ulfet does to this, she adds green lentils also, that gives it a little kick, I love those a lot! I dont know exactly when she adds that, I will ask her, and later update this recipe.
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup red lentils,
4 cups water,
2 1/2 cups bulgur, (really small cracked wheat)
spices: red hot pepper, black pepper, mint (as much as you like)
salt,
2 cloves garlic grated,
1/2 turkish teacup oil,
green onions chopped (again, as much as you like)
fresh parsley chopped

Method:

Now start with boiling the water, with the red lentils. When the lentils are done, add the bulgur. Wait 10-15 minutes. Add the spices, salt, garlic, green onions, parsley and oil. Mix really good, for a couple minutes. Then using a little bit, start to press it in between your palms, to get the long kofte shape.

Thats it, start arranging in the tray, as you go.

Serve with fresh green lettuce. (I like to eat the kofte and lettuce together, it gets crunchy)

This is excellent as a side dish for your dinner/ lunch party. Or even better for a tea party.

2 Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

Wanna have cigars ?? No No, I dont mean smoke-smoke. I mean eat them Well these are definitely without caffeine

This is another recipe to be cooked using the spring roll sheets available in Turkish/Arabic/American and of course Chinese stores

Today Emine made this for AyseGul’s baby shower. Emine has a beautiful daughter Filis (I hope I spelled her name right) and Emine is a Nurse in Turkey, what a noble profession!
Ingredients:

1 packet of Yukfa (Spring roll sheets, thawed)
filling options: feta/turkish cheese with parsley, or meat with spices, or potatoes and spices
oil for frying

Method:

Work with one sheet at a time. Start with one corner, and put a little filling across it. Then roll it a couple times, then roll from the two opposite sides one time, more like fold in the corners (to seal off the ends). Then continuing rolling it till it resembles a cigar To seal the fourth end, you may use oil or water. Just a little bit.

Finally when all are done assembling, shallow fry them in hot oil, first the first side, then flip when its golden brown, then the second side.

Thats it, take them out, and lay them on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Done!!!!

Try this, and tell me how it goes! I will wait for your feedback and suggestions

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

Presents for the baby and food (ahem for women ), I think that’s what baby showers are all about!
There were tons of snacks and desserts; to name a few: fried eggplant + peppers + potatoes with garlicy yoghurt sauce, Kiymali borek (a type of bread with ground meat in it), lentil kofte (made with red lentil and spices), pogaca (or pogca- a type of turkish bread), potatoes stuffed with carrots, peas and topped with mozarella cheese and then there were i think 5 desserts. Spinach cake, mosaic pasta, lemon jello, rullo pasta, tavuk gogusu.

I am attaching pictures of some of the things:

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Dessert, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

I have no idea what this title means, but I am guessing since there is tang involved in the recipe, the Oraletli would mean something like Orange-y dessert.

This is a new dessert, told to me by Hacer. Aren’t turkish women super talented and creative!

This is a beautiful layers cake. There are different layers of pudding (chocolate and milk), biscuits and orange jelly. Hacer is going to email me the picture soon. So you all have to just wait to see how pretty this is.

Ingredients:

For chocolate pudding:
6 turkish teacup milk,
1 turkish teacup cornstarch,
1 1/2 turkish teacup sugar,
2 tbsp cocoa

For milk pudding:
all the above ingredients except cocoa. (Duh!)

For orange jelly:
6 turkish teacup water,
1 1/2 turkish teacup tang,
1 1/2 turkish teacup sugar,
1 turkish teacup cornstarch

Ulker biscuits as much as required to create 3 layers in a 9X13 inch tray. (I think each layer there will be about 18 biscuits), so do the math, 18, 3 times. I am pure lazy today! (btw its 54, I just love maths, even when I am lazy)

Method:

Basically, its as simple as take a bowl, put the ingredients listed for chocolate pudding, mix and boil stirring constantly, Use a hand mixer, if there are any lumps. Pour this on a layer of Ulker biscuits, slowly.

Then again put a layer of biscuits on top of this chocolate pudding.

Now wash the bowl, and in the same bowl, mix and boil all the ingredients listed for Milk pudding. When done, pour over the ulker biscuit layer, again slowly.

Now again top this layer, with a layer of ulker biscuits! (This is the last layer of biscuits!)

In the same bowl, put all the ingredients for making the orange jelly, mix and boil. I know, I know, I am repeating the same instructions for all the three layers.

When orange jelly is ready, pour over the final layer of biscuits, again guess what…slowly! sorry, I am just in a silly mood today!

Thats it, done!!!! Now, let it cool and then refrigerate for a few hours, when chilled, cut into pieces, and serve. Hacer says this is a very good dessert for summer, hot weather, cold dessert. hmmmmm

Just in case, you are super confused, the layers will be in this order starting from the top; you will see:
orange jelly,
ulker biscuits,
milk pudding,
ulker biscuits,
chocolate pudding,
ulker biscuits.
Imagine how pretty this tray will look from the sides, so use a glass tray:)

No Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

My dad loved this cake made by Hacer, and so she made it twice, when my dad n mom were visiting us. This is such a light dessert, so creamy and delicious, and Hacer says it hardly takes any time, maybe 30-40 minutes to make it.

This cake reminds me of Swiss cake we had in India, it was chocolate roll with white icing or white cake with strawberry jam inside it rolled up. It looked very pretty.
Ingredients:

This recipe is for approx 11 X13 inch baking tray. If you have a 13×13 inch baking tray, then use 4 eggs and and 4 cups flour.

For Cake:
3 eggs,
2 turkish/arabic coffee cup size sugar,
1 turkish/arabic coffee cup size yoghurt,
3 turkish/arabic coffee cup size flour,
1 1/2 tsp baking powder,

For Pudding:
3 cups milk,
3 tbsp flour,
3 tbsp cornstarch,
7 tbsp sugar,
1-2 tbsp butter

1 tub cool-whip, thawed
2 peeled bananas

For garnishing the cake: dessicated coconut, sliced strawberries, chocolate chips etc.

Method:

For the cake, mix eggs and sugar with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and then mix well, till all the lumps dissolve. Pour this in a 11X13 inch baking tray, lined with a parchment paper. If you have oil spray, then spray the paper with it lightly. Spread the batter with a fork to get an even layer. Bake at 350 deg F till the top is red-gold in color.

When you start the baking, start making the pudding. Dissolve all the ingredients listed under Pudding except butter. Then boil it stirring constantly. When done, it will start to thicken, and the flour-y taste will have gone. Remove from heat, add the butter, and again use a hand mixer and mix for a few minutes.

The cake should be baked in this time. Wait a couple minutes, and roll it tightly with the parchment paper, and cover this roll with a wet towel. Leave it for 15 minutes.

Let the pudding cool for 15 minutes too.

Remove the cake from the parchment paper, and then spread the pudding on the cake, and leave about a cup of pudding outside. Keep 2 peeled bananas length wise about 2 inches away from the longer end. Roll the cake starting from the ends where the bananas are placed. Spread the remaining pudding on the top. Holding it with both your hands, move this quickly to the serving tray.
Now let this rest for about an hour. Then spread the cool-whip all over.

For garnishing, you can use, dessicated coconut, or chopped walnuts, or strawberry/kiwi slices, or as shown in the picture, chocolate chips!

Refrigerate and cut into slices before serving!

Optional: As shown in the above picture, you can add couple tbsp of cocoa powder in the cake batter for chocolate cake.

1 Comment | In: Dessert, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #

Yasir loved the mutton chops made by Mumtaaz aunty. I think everyone should try this recipe. It has very few spices, and ingredients, and Yasir says it has a very simple meaty taste, because there are not too many spices.
Ingredients:

mutton chops,
salt,
ginger grated,
garlic grated,
spices: chilli powder, corriander (dhania) powder, cumin (zeera) powder)
tomato sauce, 4-5 tbsp
water, oil for cooking/frying

Method:

First boil the chops in water, salt, ginger and garlic for about 15 minutes. (Dont boil too much, you dont want meat falling off the pieces). Then remove the pieces from the broth, and fry them in oil till red. In the broth, add the spices and tomato sauce. Boil the sauce. Pour over the mutton chops and cook for a few minutes.

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Kashmiri, Recipes | | #