Pilavs and Lentils
Pilavs are an essential part of Turkish cuisine. Just about any meal is accompanied by a pilav, and I felt far more confident cooking Turkish once I had mastered one or two of them. Some are quite simple, some are quite elaborate, all of them are quite yummy.
Basic Pilav
This is the first pilav Turkish women are expected to master. It’s a lovely buttery pilav, and uses a type of pasta identical to Italian risoni pasta. Serve alongside any chicken or meat dish.
Bulgur Pilav
Turkey boasts a wide range of grains in the local diet– far more that what we typically see in the West. Possibly the most popular is bulgar. It looks very much like pearl barley, but bright yellow in colour when uncooked. I was fascinated when I first tried it – it has a slightly nutty, chewy flavour I instantly loved. I immediately went on the hunt to find the perfect bulgar pilav recipe...
Chestnut and Pistachio Pilav
As soon as the weather cools and the chestnut sellers appear on the streets, I love to buy a paper bag of the fragrant treats to use for this pilav. ...
Chicken and Currant Pilav Baked in Pastry
You must admit, this one looks pretty gorgeous. Really a meal in itself, this pilav is my neighbour Dilan’s all-time favourite food. And don’t tell anyone, it’s a great way to use up leftover pilav from the night before….
Green Lentils with Carrot and Lemon
Lentils are such a simple, satisfying meal option all by themselves, and have excellent left-over potential. Turks typically serve their lentils cold as a main or side dish, or for a picnic. But I confess, I love mine steaming hot.
Makluba Pilav
Rice holds a special place in the Turkish diet, and there are myriad varieties of pilav to be found in every region of the country. Makluba Pilav would have to be the most spectacular of them all.
Pilav with Green Lentils
Dishes that feature lentils, beans and other legumes are a popular alternative for everyday, weekday meals. Green lentil pilav is traditionally cooked to serve alongside a meal of small fish, such as fried anchovies. But of course it can be served as a stand-alone meal, and often is.
Black-Eyed Peas with a Parsley Tomato Sauce
Although Turks are among the most committed carnivores you will come across, there is a still a great fondness for lentil and legume dishes in Turkish cuisine. Black-eyed peas are considered a delicacy, more expensive than regular beans, and are cooked with care. This is a beatiful recipe that shows them off nicely.
Pinenut and Currant Pilav
This is the pilav that gets pulled out for special occasions. Its big night of the year is New Year’s eve, when the pilav accompanies the traditional roast turkey at family feasts. But I’m sure you’ll agree with me, it is far too good to make just once a year….
Anchovy-Wrapped Pilav
Fresh anchovies are very much the staple food in Turkey’s coastal areas. They feature in the Black Sea region’s signature dish: anchovy wrapped pilav. This has become one of Turkey’s most famous pilavs, really a meal in itself.
Uzbek Pilav
Uzbek pilav is popular all over Turkey, but particularly in the South East. A favourite South Eastern Turkish cookbook of mine features not just one, but two different recipes for Uzbek Pilav. As the name suggest, Uzbek cuisine also has a version of this pilav called “osh.” The Uzbek and Turkish interpretations of the pilav differ slightly in their ingredients and technique, but the end result is similar.