The Riches of the Humble Vegetable
Besides grains, vegetables are also consumed in large quantities in the Turkish diet. The simplest and most basic vegetable dish is prepared by slicing a staple vegetable such as marrow or eggplant, combining it with tomatoes, green peppers and onions and cooking it slowly in olive oil and its own juices. As the vegetables that are cultivated in Türkiye are truly delicious, a simple dish like this, eaten with a large piece of fresh bread, is already a filling meal.
A whole class of vegetables that is cooked in olive oil is called Zeytinyağlı (Zeytin yağ means olive oil in Turkish). Practically all vegetables, such as fresh string beans, artichokes, celery root, eggplants, pinto beans, or marrows can be cooked in olive oil and are usually eaten at room temperature. They are an integral part of the menu and are varied according to the season.
Then there are fried vegetables such as eggplant, peppers and marrows that are eaten with a tomato or yoğurt sauce.
Dolma is the generic term for stuffed vegetables and is a derivative of the verb “doldurmak” (to fill). There are two categories of Dolma: those stuffed with a meat mixture and those stuffed with a rice mixture. The latter are cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature. The meat dolma is a main dish eaten with a yoğurt sauce and is very common in the average household. Any vegetable that can be stuffed or wrapped around these mixtures can be used as dolma, including marrow, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, and grape leaves. However, the green pepper dolma stuffed with rice is the queen of dolma. A royal feast for the eye and the palate.
In addition to these general categories, there are many meat and vegetable dishes with unique recipes. When we talk about vegetables, it is important to know that eggplant has a special place in Turkish cuisine. This pretty vegetable with its brown-green cap, velvety purple skin and firm and slender body has a richer flavour than its relatives in other countries. A frustrating question to ask a Turkish cuisine connoisseur at a party would be, “How do you cook an eggplant?”
A proper answer to this question would take hours! Again, it will have to suffice to mention just two eggplant dishes that you should definitely try. In one, called Karnıyarık, the eggplant is split lengthwise and stuffed with a meat mixture. A more common version of this without the meat mixture is known as İmam Bayıldı (More affectionately called the Fainting Priest in English). This is a common summer dish eaten with white rice pilav.
The other is Hünkar Beğendi (Literally: Sultan’s Delight), a delicate formal dish that is not easy to prepare but is worth trying. To try these dishes, look for a Lokanta, which describes the type of establishment where traditional dishes are prepared, usually for those who work nearby.