Turkish cooking classes have begun at the Istanbul Cultural Center, located on Jimmy Carter. Turkish cuisine is among my favorite and the classes, hosted by the women’s division are always so much fun. These women really know food and there is no serious language barrier to surmount. The only problem I have is that all the Turkish women are so much smarter than I am! Many are PhD candidates, multi-lingual and well traveled. But it’s a group I really enjoy hanging out with. They take turns teaching and this recipe was demonstrated by Ferda Kececi.
Our first recipe is a simple one, using red lentils, common in Turkey. They may be hard to find unless you go to a farmer’s market, but they are available at Bereket, the small but well stocked Turkish market located at the Istanbul Center. You can use other lentils, but the taste will differ. This recipe calls for corn oil and I felt this heavy oil gave a wonderful, buttery flavor to the soup, but you can use any oil or butter. The first step is making a roux with onions to thicken the soup. Adding cold water to the mixture first keeps it from forming lumps. Using hot water for the remainder makes the cooking go faster.
Sebzeli mercimek corbasi, Turkish red lentil soup with vegetables
1 cup red lentils, washed and drained (no need to soak)
1 medium onion, chopped (sweet onions are best)
1 carrot, chopped
1 small potato, chopped
2 Tablespoon of corn oil (or butter)
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
About 8 cups of water, divided (one cup cold and the rest hot)
Salt to taste
For the topping, optional:
2 Tablespoons butter
Pepper to taste
Paprika, for color.
Fry onions in oil until soft, but not brown. Add flour and make a light roux. Add one cup cold water and stir until smooth. Add lentils, potatoes, carrots and salt. Cook until lentils are soft, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick, 30-40 minutes. Makes enough for 6 people.
Optional topping: brown butter in a pan. Add pepper and paprika. Spoon onto the top of each bowl of soup before serving.
See the slide show below for recipe steps.
Variation: replace some of the water with milk or cream. Also, a fresh squeeze of lemon on top of the soup just before serving gives a fresh taste. Garnish the bowls with a lemon wedge and let each person decide if they want to add it.
For more Turkish cooking class info, visit their blog, where they give more recipes and often step by step instructions.
To register for upcoming classes, email cooking@istanbulcenter.org
or call 678-990-1717.
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