Rakı is a drink to be reverenced. Rakı leaves the body for what it is and runs away with the mind. Rakı people drink slowly, at a Rakı table. In addition, a fork is pricked from small dishes that keep the fire of the Rakı in check.
Meze, Tapas or Snacks
Whatever you call it, it all comes down to a small snack as an aperitif or with a drink. Turkish cuisine has a wide range meze`s, dishes that are often eaten cold. On warm days, many such dishes are also eaten as part of the daily main meal. The Anise distillate Rakı was developed during the Ottoman Empire, since then the meze`s become an indispensable part of the Rakı table.
Why eat at Rakı?
Rakı is a drink with a personality, a predator to be reckoned with. Rakı makes people stop listening and makes them talk. Rakı increases the urge to prove and separates the mind from the mind. Rakı is drunk slowly so that the body can control the mind. The alcohol in Rakı makes you hungry, it is a drink that requires a snack. Eating also prevents the burning sensation that Rakı can give immediately or hours later.
Also with the barbecue or on toast
In Turkey it is not customary to eat something different at the barbecue than what can be done on the barbecue. In Dutch cuisine, what is on the barbecue is part of the meal. However, the meze’s from the Turkish kitchen are very tasty additions to a Dutch barbecue meal. To be eaten cold and easy to prepare in advance. These snacks also work well on toast and as a dipping sauce.
Bakla fava (Broad bean puree)
This dish can also be done with peas instead of broad beans.
Preparation time 20 min.
Ingredients
- 250 g dry fava beans or 1 large pot of ready-made fava beans
- 1 dl olive oil
- 2 onions
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- lemon juice
- few sprigs of parsley or fresh dill
- 8 to 10 black olives
- salt to taste
Preparation method
Pour the beans into a colander. Put them in a food processor and puree them. While pureeing, add the olive oil, sugar, salt and a little lemon juice. Spoon the Fava onto a plate and let it stiffen in the fridge. Garnish with lemon, black olives and finely chopped parsley or dill.
Mamzama
Preparation time 20 min.
Ingredients
- 3 aubergines
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 250 grams of yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- little oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation method
Cook the aubergines in a hot oven, with the skin on, until they have the softness of your cheek. About 10 min. The traditional way is on a grid on an open fire, can also be on the gas stove, turning around and shifting now and then, you cook the aubergines in 10 min. Let the aubergines cool down for a while. In the meantime, squeeze the garlic cloves and mix them with the yogurt. Grate the tomato and finely chop the parsley. Peel the aubergines and mash the pulp with a fork, mix in the tomato and season with salt and black pepper. Place this mixture on a large serving dish. Spoon the yogurt with garlic over the dish. Heat a little oil in a small pan and add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Remove immediately from the heat and pour this over the Mamzama. Garnish with parsley.
Tarator
This sauce is also used as a fish sauce with fried fish.
Preparation time 15 min.
Ingredients
- 200 grams of walnuts
- 2 cloves of garlic
- juice of 2 lemons
- 6 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
- salt
- parsley
Preparation method
Crush the garlic and grind or crush the walnuts, the finer the better. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. The mixture will become thick due to the combination of tahini and lemon juice. If the sauce becomes too thick, dilute with water. Season with salt and garnish with parsley.
Variations
- The tahini and lemon juice can be replaced with equal amounts of oil and vinegar and some breadcrumbs.
- Yogurt, mayonnaise and breadcrumbs are a second option to replace the tahini, add a few drops of lemon juice for freshness.
Avokado salata
Preparation time 10 min.
Ingredients
- 1 well-ripe soft avocado
- 2 cloves of garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
- few sprigs of fresh parsley or dill
- salt, white pepper
Preparation method
Peel and chop the garlic in a small bowl, using a spoon and a pinch of salt, crush the garlic against the side of the bowl. Peel the avocado and cut the flesh into small pieces. Put this in the bowl with the garlic. Mash the avocado to a pulp. If the avocado is still too hard for that, use the hand blender. Add the lemon juice and season with white pepper and some salt if necessary. Garnish with finely chopped parsley or dill. Delicious dip sauce with meat, fish, on toast, chips and bread.
Şakşuka (Vegetables in tomato sauce)
Also works well as a main course on hot summer days.
Preparation time 30 min.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes
- 2 aubergines
- 10 green pointed peppers
- 1 kg tomatoes or 500 g tomatoes preserved in juice
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- pinch of thyme
- salt and black pepper
- 2 dl oil
Preparation method
Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Put the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the potato cubes slowly but not brown. By the time the potatoes are cooked, cut the aubergine into slightly larger cubes. Remove the potatoes from the fat with a sieve scoop, drain on kitchen paper and then fry the aubergine. Place the potato cubes in a deep serving dish and divide them over the bottom. Cut the peppers into rings and fry them in the same fat after the aubergine. Place the aubergines on top of the potatoes as the second layer. For the tomato sauce, grate the tomatoes and cook a sauce with the red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and black pepper. For a more European taste, you can add ketchup and one lump of sugar. Reduce the sauce a little and pour it over the potatoes and aubergine. Garnish with the fried pepper rings. Eat the dish cool but not cold. Serve with bread.
Haydari (Yogurt dip sauce)
Preparation time 10 min.
Ingredients
- 250 gr. non-spilled yogurt (süzme yoğurt)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- little lemon juice
- pinch of dried mint or dill green
- little oil
- salt
Preparation method
Crush the garlic and mix with the other ingredients. Stir well and let it taste for a while. The oil is to prevent yogurt water from leaking and to make it more spreadable. You can enrich the dish with grated or diced cucumber and dilute with water if necessary. You then have Cacık. Delicious with bread or as a salad dressing.
