Chillies in Turkish cuisine
Chillies play an important role in Turkish cooking. Both fresh Chillies ( hot or sweet ) and a variety of dried formats in colours that range from black and dark orange to different shades of red find themselves in Turkish cuisine. Chillies are used either pickled or as paste, added as an ingredient to dishes or served as a condiment that is sprinkled over food after cooking. Examples of Turkish cooking where chillies are used include Biber Salcasi ( red pepper paste), Sirkeli Biber (pickled chillies), Cilber (Turkish eggs with Chilli), Hunkar begendi ( Lamb stew with aubergine puree) and Bulgur Lahana Kapuska (Meat stew with cabbage, bulgar and peppers) and finally, not forgetting, of course, the wonderful Doner Kebab with chillies and a Chilli sauce
Chillies are commonly used in Turkish cuisine, in the form of red pepper flakes or "pul biber" in Turkish. These flakes are often sprinkled on top of dishes such as pizza, lahmacun (Turkish flatbread with minced meat topping), soups, and stews.
Chillies are also used in the following ways :
- In dips and sauces: Chillies are also used to add heat to dips and sauces such as muhammara (a dip made with red peppers and walnuts), acılı ezme (a spicy tomato and pepper dip), and cacık (a yogurt and cucumber dip).
- In meat dishes: Chillies are used in many meat dishes in Turkey, such as kebabs, meatballs, and stews. For example, "Adana kebabı" is a spicy kebab dish made with minced meat and red pepper flakes.
- In breakfast dishes: In some regions of Turkey, a traditional breakfast dish called "menemen" is made with tomatoes,