Dinner Ideas

Tepsi Kebabı (Turkish Tray-Baked Kebab)

Tepsi kebabı — tray kebab — is one of the most impressive of all Turkish baked meat preparations: a large baking tray filled with minced meat,… Continue reading
Orman Kebabı (Turkish Forest Keeper’s Lamb Stew)

Orman kebabı — forest kebab — is one of the most distinctively Turkish of all the country’s slow-cooked meat dishes: lamb on the bone, braised with… Continue reading
Çoban Kavurma (Turkish Shepherd’s Sautéed Lamb)

Çoban kavurma — shepherd’s kavurma — is the most rustic and elemental of all Turkish meat preparations: lamb or goat cooked over an open fire in its… Continue reading
İzmir Köfte (Turkish Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

İzmir köfte is one of the great comfort dishes of Turkish home cooking — braised meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes,… Continue reading
Kadinbudu Köfte (Turkish Lady’s Thigh Meatballs)

Kadınbudu köfte — “lady’s thigh köfte” — carries one of the most evocative names in Turkish cuisine, a poetic description of the rounded, soft shape of… Continue reading
Patlıcan Musakka (Turkish Eggplant Moussaka)

Patlıcan musakka — Turkish eggplant moussaka — is the Turkish interpretation of a dish that appears, in various forms, across the entire former Ottoman… Continue reading
Sulu Köfte (Turkish Meatball Soup)

Sulu köfte — broth meatballs — represents the gentlest and most comforting end of the Turkish köfte spectrum: small, soft meatballs of minced lamb or… Continue reading
İçli Köfte (Turkish Stuffed Bulgur Meatballs)

İçli köfte — stuffed köfte — is perhaps the most technically demanding preparation in the entire Turkish köfte family, and arguably the most spectacular. Continue reading
Karalahana Sarması (Turkish Black Kale Rolls)

Karalahana sarması — Black Sea cabbage rolls — is the Black Sea coast’s magnificent contribution to the great Turkish sarma tradition: dark, wrinkled… Continue reading
Bamya Yemeği (Turkish Okra Stew with Lamb)

Bamya yemeği — okra stew — is one of the most distinctive and beloved vegetable dishes in Turkish cuisine, a slow-cooked preparation of tender okra… Continue reading