At a Turkish cuisine masterclass, chefs Ibrahim Yaman and Abdullah Olgun show Saimi Sattar that when it comes to cooking, sometimes less is more
In India, we do not consider eggs as vegetarian,” the words spoken by a much-respected food writer threw Chef Ibrahim Yaman a little off kilter, but just for a moment before he laughed and shifted the bowl containing a solo egg towards the back of his work station. There were small bowls containing a lot of greens, a white powder, egg and black pepper laid out in front of him
We were attending a masterclass on Turkish cuisine which was hosted by Pullman New Delhi Aerocity in association with Swissotel The Bosphorus from which chefs Ibrahim and Abdullah Olgun from Swissotel Istanbul, had been especially flown in by the Turkish Airlines.
The chefs were all set to demonstrate one vegetarian and a non vegetarian dish to a motley group of 10-12 people who by appearances defied every attempt to club them together as they were as varied, in age group and sizes, as could be. But we were all bonded by our collective love of food and the desire to click Instaworthy pictures.
But coming back to what we were here for, the chef decided to swing into action and decided to demonstrate the way to make Mujver. He picked up a piece of zucchini which he grated. “The green side, that’s what you need to use,” he said indicating the skin of the vegetable in heavily-accented English. He sprinkled some salt over it and kept it aside. “This has to rest for 20 minutes and we have already prepped this,” he said picking up another bowl.
In this he added the egg, parsley, stalks of spring onion, flour, coarsely ground black pepper, sprig of dill and mint. The thick batter was poured out into a heated pan smeared with olive oil. “That looks like an omelette,” a voice floated from the back. “A pizza,” another said. Chef Ismail gave a conspiratorial smile as he used a flat spoon to gently press the round disc to ensure that it was properly cooked and then expertly flipped it over to the other side. Once well done, he removed it from the pan and garnished it with yogurt and a sprig of dill.
A bite and one realised the reason for the smile for the dish defied either of the descriptions. It was slightly crunchy, yet soft but what made it delectable was the burst of freshness that came from the sprig of dill which garnished it and the herbs that it was infused with inside.
Next up was Hunker begendi. The young Abdullah Olgun told us that it was his favourite as whatever be the feast in Turkey, this was sure to make its way to the table. This involved cooking the lamb with caramelised onions (not humongous quantities that are involved in Indian cooking rather a really small amount) and garlic. To this was added tomato paste, salt pepper and chopped tomatoes. The ensemble was placed into an oven while Chef Ismail got busy making the side dish.
And again there were Indian inferences as baked or roasted eggplant was mashed, drawing baingan ka bharta cries from the audience. But that is where the similarity ended. Mixed with flour and copious quantities of milk, this was served alongside the lamb which was cooked by this time. The succulent lamb was practically falling off the bone. The flavours were simple and clean without overburdening the palate but no one could label it bland. Certainly a balance that is hard to achieve.
But then as Chef Ismail pointed out that Turkish food was all about balance, between regions and flavours, “The food in Turkey is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which is a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Balkan cuisine.”
The Chef told us if one wants to partake an entire spread, it should ideally consist of a meze, a tray or table of small dishes including stuffed vine leaves, salads, and a variety of other items, as well asshish kebab grilled on a skewer. Rice pilaf is very common, and bread and soups are important parts of the diet. One vegetable, the eggplant (aubergine)is very much a part of Turkish cooking and widely known.
“Also, fish is fairly plentiful along the Bosporus and the coast, but tends to be expensive. Further, the most important ingredients are tomato paste and oil. The oil choice mostly varies depending upon the region. While, meat is a common ingredient and it is often grilled. Further, Turkish desserts include baklava (a dessert of syrup and pastry), Kadayif and Muhallebi. Turkish coffee(Kahve), a thick brew is served in small cups with nearly every meal,” he added.
What made an impression on many of us was the fact that the Turkish cooking techniques are simple and easy to learn. “The cuisine uses fresh and healthy ingredients, that's why the Turkish dishes have the right balance combining all kinds of flavours,” he added.
When asked about the favourites, the chefs had a long list, “Our favourites are Adana Kebab, Purslane with yogurt, Muhammara, haydari. And in desserts, Irmik halva with pine nut, Oven baked mastic rice pudding, Pumpkin with clotted cream. But it is not as if the chefs palate is restricted to Turkish cuisine as they also like Italian and Peruvian cuisine.
For dessert, we were served Kunafa, which seemed to combine best of both the worlds. It was a round disk made out of vermicelli which was fried, soaked in sugar syrup and served on a terraotta dish. But it when when you dug into it that the real secret was revealed. Stringy cheese oozed out and as you wrapped it around the spoon, more followed till just trying to bite into it was an exercise in restraint. Unlike the Baklava, which is a tad too sweet for my taste buds, this spelt perfection.
An absolutely perfect way to end the afternoon. Only regret which can be interpreted as a wish too: We need to come back to learn how to make the delectable Kunafa for sure.
