Which countries are part of the Middle East varies depending on who you ask. From a food perspective, the flavours of Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine (the Levant), Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, The UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar (the countries of the Arabian Gulf), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (North Africa) all have a lot in common. The influences crosses borders to neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Xinjjiang in China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Sudan, Somalia, Zanzibar and Greece too; as well as the Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.
Turkish Tuna ‘Meatballs’ (Balik Köftesi) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! I learnt to make Turkish köfte (meatballs) from my friend Somer Sivrioglu. Traditionally he makes them with a combination of lamb and beef, but his technique – and the secret ingredient of semolina – work just […]
Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! Strings of hollowed small eggplants drying in the sun are a common sight in eastern Turkey. Hollowing and drying summer vegetables to store for stuffing throughout the winter is a specialty of the south-eastern town of Gaziantep. […]
Muhammara Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! Muhammara is an easy Turkish capsicum and walnut dip that’s so delicious, you’ll be whipping it up to serve alongside everything. It’s especially good with seafood and a wonderful addition to a mezze table. I like to oven roast capsicum […]
Sigara Borek (Turkish Cheese & Herb Rolls) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! Börek filled with cheese and herbs is one of my favourite food experiences from my travels in Turkey. I remember arriving early one morning in the eastern town of Tatvan having caught the overnight […]
Borani Laboo (Persian Beetroot & Yoghurt Dip) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Persian food is colourful, tasty and healthy. Borani (sometimes written burani or boorani) are Persian vegetable dips made with a tangy yoghurt base, that fire up the appetite for what’s to come and also cut through the rich […]
Persian Minced Tuna Kebabs Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Persians love all sorts of kebabs and these minced tuna kebabs are a great alternative to the lamb-based kabab koobideh so popular in Persian cuisine. Cooking time will depend on how thinly you roll the mince and on the heat of […]
Prawns with Persian Split Pea Stew Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Prawns with Persian split pea stew is a seafood version of the classic Persian dish, khoresh-e gheymeh, in which lamb is braised in a rich sauce with yellow split peas. For me that dish is really all about the […]
Advieh (Persian Spice Blend) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Advieh, Persian cuisine’s all-purpose spice mix, is a blend of equal quantities of earthy warm spices, with the aromatic lift of dried rose petals. Cooks usually grind up a batch from whole spices and store it in an airtight jar to […]
Turkish Salmon Kebaps Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! I love almost any sort of kebabs (or kebaps as the Turks call them) and especially when the meat or seafood has been soaked in the tangy yoghurt marinade so typical of Turkey. This marinade is most often […]
Persian Fish with Barberry Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! This tangy barberry sauce is usually served with chicken in a traditional Persian dish called zereshk polo ba morgh, but I discovered that it works just as well with seafood. I like to make this Persian fish recipe using large […]
