Zeytinyagli Pazi - Chard cooked in olive oil with onion, peppers and rice

“This is a lovely and easy dish to enjoy pazı (chard), grown mostly in the northwest, Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Its gently tart flavour is delicious here. These large leaves are also used for making pazı sarması (rolled chard leaves with aromatic rice…

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Çilbir - Turkish-style poached eggs in garlicky yoghurt

“This is one of my favourite ways to enjoy eggs. It was part of Ottoman palace banquets and a favourite of Mehmed the Conqueror. At home, Çılbır is generally enjoyed as a hot meze; I also like serving it as part of a leisurely weekend breakfast, lunch or a light mid-week supper…

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Balkabakli, cevizli havuç dilimi baklava - Pumpkin and walnut baklava

“The Turkish love pumpkin in desserts (either baked in its own juice with sugar or poached in syrup) and baklava are a legacy of the Ottoman palace kitchens. Baked in a round tray and sliced into wedges, havuç dilimi is one of our traditional baklava shapes and traditionally walnuts…

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Slow cooker beef rendang

‘Proper’ rendang is a dry curry from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra in Indonesia and it’s a touch labour-intensive to make. Once you’ve toasted coconut, ground a spice paste, then braised the beef with all of this goodness in a rich coconut gravy, you simmer until the liquid pretty much evaporates and the beef chunks fry…

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