Category: Main Dishes / Traditional Turkish Cuisine

Ingredients:

• 500g lamb, beef, or chicken (boiled and shredded or cubed)
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 cups water or broth
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 pieces stale flatbread or pide, cubed

For garlic yogurt:

• 1.5 cups thick plain yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt to taste

For butter sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon paprika or Turkish red pepper flakes (pul biber)

Optional toppings:

• Ground sumac
• Chopped parsley
• Walnuts (in some regional versions)

---

Instructions:

1. Cook the Meat:
   In a pot, boil the meat with water, onion, salt, and pepper until tender (about 1.5 hours). Remove meat and shred or cube. Reserve the broth.
2. Prepare Bread Base:
   Spread cubed stale bread on a large serving tray or plate.
   Ladle hot broth over the bread until softened but not soggy.
3. Prepare Yogurt Sauce:
   Mix the yogurt with crushed garlic and salt. Spoon generously over the soaked bread.
4. Add the Meat:
   Place shredded or cubed meat over the yogurt layer.
5. Butter Sauce:
   In a small pan, melt butter and stir in paprika or red pepper flakes. Let it foam, then drizzle over the dish.
6. Serve:
   Optionally garnish with sumac, chopped parsley, or a few crushed walnuts. Serve hot.

---

Notes:

• Tirit is a humble and hearty Anatolian dish, traditionally made to use leftover bread and meat.
• It’s especially popular in Konya, Kastamonu, Afyonkarahisar, and Erzurum with regional variations.
• Some regions add chickpeas, rice, or cooked onions.