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A Guest Post: Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

A Guest Post: Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad
A Guest Post: Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

Hey there everybody!

So the first week of my new series Around the World, Week by Week is now over! I hope you enjoyed the last seven days, the little excursus in turkish cuisine and culture and the seven recipes!!

As I promised at the beginning  I will have something special at the end – and it is a guest post!! Zerrin is the lovely lady behind Give Recipe. She is a new mom, lives in Turkey and has the most delicious recipes on her blog!! I love browsing through them – it reminds me so much of my time in Izmir 🙂

I am so happy that she took some of her small amount of free time to write this post for my page!! Also she brings one of my absolute favorite turkish foods to you: Acılı Ezme!! I ate it literally all the time I could get it – even for breakfast with some cream cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes! I couldn’t find it in the stores in Germany but now I can make my own! 🙂 It really is fantastic!

So go on, scroll down and read all about turkish food and habits from a native! And don’t forget to click over to Zerrin’s blog! 🙂

~ Kathrin

 

Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

Hi everyone!

I am Zerrin of Give Recipe from Turkey. I’m so pleased to be here, writing at Kathrin’s lovely blog! I met her a very short time ago and love that we are both so passionate about food! I always love to meet such foodies! When I learnt that she lived in Izmir, Turkey for some time, I knew that we would have lots of things to talk about. It’s great to hear Turkish names of our dishes from her; not everyone knows cacik or pirinç pilavı unless they are as enthusiastic about food and culture as Kathrin!

Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

I’m going to share a very addictive salad from Turkish cuisine here today. Hope you all love it!

Ezme is known as a salad or appetizer in Turkey. It is mostly served with kebabs at kebab restaurants. Have you tried Turkish kebab yet? You’ve missed a lot if you haven’t! It is one of the foods you must taste at least once in your life! Once you try it, you will get addicted! Mezzes or side dishes served before kebab and you enjoy them before your kebab is brought. Be careful not to eat too much of these; otherwise you won’t have any room for kebab! Acılı Ezme is just one of those irresistible appetizers.

Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

Ezme means “mashed”, so this is a kind of mashed salad. Genuine kebab restaurants make it with a big cleaver or with a special double handled knife. It’s absolutely easier to chop vegetables with a blender, but there is a remarkable difference between the flavors of ezme made by cleaver or double handled knife and the one made by blender or any other electrical device. It MUST be chopped by hand, otherwise it gets too juicy.

Pomegranate molasses is almost a must in acili ezme since it gives a very nice sweet-sourish flavor and a darker color to the salad. If you can’t find it in your area, you can increase the amount of lemon juice a little. As for the spices, hot chili powder is the main one. Another spice I personally love in ezme salad is sumac, which increases its sourness. You can add dried mint too to add a little refreshment and to balance the sour and hot flavor of the salad.

The best bread to serve with ezme is Turkish lavash, which is similar to tortilla or Turkish pide. Kebabs are generally served with these two breads, so you can dip them into ezme as a bonus! And Ayran, which is a fabulous cold yogurt drink, is undoubtedly the best drink with these irresistible foods!

Acılı Ezme – Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad

Since it’s a refreshing salad, ezme is a perfect choice to accompany any dish in summer! You know what? I can even have it at breakfast! Its spiciness help me wake up and it whets my appetite to eat more.

 

Acılı Ezme - Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad
 
Author:
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 chili peppers
  • ¼ bunch of parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tsp pepper paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp sumac
  • A pinch of dried mint
Instructions
  1. Chop peeled tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili peppers and parsley as finely as you can. The finer the better. Mix them in a bowl.
  2. Mix lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and pepper paste until smooth. Add this mixture into salad.
  3. Add salt and spices, mix well.
  4. Chill it in refrigerator for half an hour and serve!

 

Here are the other recipes I shared during this series:

An Introduction to the new series

Appetizer – Sigara Böreği

Main Dish – Köfte, Cacık & Pirinç Pilavı

Dessert – Künefe

Drink – Ayran 

Salad – Kısır

Pastry – Kurabiye

Snack/Fast Food – Lahmacun

Around the World – Turkey: Kısır, Bulgur Salad

Around the World – Turkey: Kısır, Bulgur Salad
Around the World – Turkey: Kısır, Bulgur Salad

Hey guys!

Today I have a yummy salad recipe for you! Kısır is a Turkish bulgur salad packed with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and lots of herbs! It is very refreshing any delicious!

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

I have lots to do today, so I’m a little short about words 😉 Just look at all the yummy pictures and then run to the kitchen and make this yummy salad! That’s what I’ll do at least, as I am invited to a goodbye party this evening and I will make this salad again for tonight.

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

It is very delicious, with all the herbs and exotic flavors and healthy as well! it keeps in the fridge for several days, so why not make this ahead and eat throughout the week?

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

It is great mixed with lettuce leaves too – I didn’t even need aditional dressing, the bulgur itself has enough flavor!

And if you want to read more about Turkey don’t forget to look for the other posts of this series below after the recipe!

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

Have you been to Turkey yourself? Have you enjoyed Turkish food? Do you have any questions about the country or the people? Just leave me a comment below! 🙂

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

Kısır, Bulgur Salad
 
Prep time
Total time
 
A great salad to feed lots of people! Perfect for an appetizer, main dish or snack.
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Turkish
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 200g fine bulgur (köftelik bulgur - in Turkish Shops)
  • 200ml boiling water
  • 5 green onions
  • 2 pointed peppers
  • 1 red onion
  • 10 small tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 handfull fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint)
  • 1 tablespoons salca (red pepper paste - in Turkish Shops)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 5 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (in Turkish Shops)
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • a pinch of chili (pul biber spice)
  • optional: lettuce hearts
Instructions
  1. Put the bulgur into a big bowl and pour the hot water on top. Put a lid (or a big enough plate) on top to seal and let sit for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile chop onions, pepper, tomatoes and cucumber into small cubes. Chop herbs very finely. Set aside
  3. Mix bulgur with salca, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and pomegranate syrup very well. Put the vegetables and herbs in and mix.
  4. For serving you can leave the salad in the bowl and decorate with tomatoes and parsley or you can arrange the salad on lettuce leaves!

 Afiyet olsun!!

 

Here are the other recipes I shared during this series:

An Introduction to the new series

Appetizer – Sigara Böreği

Main Dish – Köfte, Cacık & Pirinç Pilavı

Dessert – Künefe

Drink – Ayran

Pastry – Kurabiye

Snack/Fast Food – Lahmacun

Guest Post – Acılı Ezme

 

Around The World, Week by Week: Turkey - Kısır, Bulgur Salad by gingerlemonandspice

Have a great day!

~ Kathrin