Adana Cooking
by Mebrure Caliskanalp
A historical southern province of Turkiye, Adana embraces a rich cultural heritage. Like many hot
areas, the cuisine of Adana tends to be very spicy. In addition to various spices, typical dishes are
often flavored with lemons or lemon juice, and plenty of garlic. Bulgur is one of the main ingredients in
many of the favorite dishes of the region. Most dishes come with their own special salad, such as the
tomato and onion salad which accompanies mercimek köftesi, a delicious concoction of red lentils,
bulgur, onions and tomatoes, as well as spices, of course! The people of Adana also enjoy drinking
rak quite often. So, a great many of meze, or hors d'oeuvres, has been developed to accompany the
rak . The dish known as 'Ali Nazik' is a milder example of Adana cuisine; 'Vartabit', on the other
hand, is more typical of the flavors of the region's cooking. 20
| Ali Nazik
| Vartabit
|
Ingredients | 1 eggplant 1 lb. ground beef 2 med.
tomatoes, chopped 1 long green pepper,
chopped 1 container lebni, a type of very
thick yogurt found in Middle Eastern
stores 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. salt | 1-1.5 loaves of (French) bread cut into 1 in.
cubes 1 cup tahin (sesame paste) 1 clove
garlic, crushed juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp. salt 1
can (15 oz.) great northern beans 2 Tsp
sumac; small amounts of black pepper,20
cayenne pepper, and cumin 1 stick butter
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika |
How
to
make
| After pricking its skin with a fork, grill the
eggplant in a 400 to 450-degreeoven for 1
hour. When the eggplant is cooked, peel
and mash it with a fork. Crush the 2 cloves
of garlic, add to the lebni, along with 1 tsp.
salt. Mix the garlic flavored lebni with the
mashed eggplant. Arrange the eggplant in a
platter, mounding it along the sides and
leaving a shallow depression for the
ground beef. Keep the eggplant mixture
warm. Cook the ground beef until it is very
well done, adding salt to taste. Then add
the chopped tomatoes and pepper, and
sautee for 5 minutes. Arrange the ground
beef mixture in the middle of the eggplant
mixture and serve immediately. Afiyet
olsun! | Put the bread cubes in a 9 x 13 in. pan and
broil until golden brown. Mix the tahin with
crushed garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Add
enough water to this paste to bring it to a
consistency of pancake batter. Drain the
beans. Stir the beans into the tahin mixture.
Spread the bean mixture over the toasted
bread cubes. Sprinkle with the spices
beginning with black pepper and ending with
sumac. Melt butter until golden brown. Stir
in either cayenne pepper or paprika
according to your taste. Drizzle over
prepared dish. Serve immediately and enjoy
it! |
more recipes from Turkish cuisine
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