Türlü

Everything goes in raw and all at once, and nothing is browned first.

Vegan. Vegetarian only if you leave out the optional lamb.

Ingredients

• 600 g lamb shoulder, cubed (optional)
• 2 aubergines, in chunks
• 2 potatoes, in chunks
• 200 g okra, topped
• 200 g green beans, topped
• 2 courgettes, in chunks
• 2 peppers, in chunks
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 onions, in wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper paste
• 120 ml olive oil
• 300 ml hot water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• black pepper

Method

1. EVERYTHING GOES IN RAW AND ALL AT ONCE, AND NOTHING IS BROWNED FIRST. No frying off the onions, no searing the lamb, no pre-frying the aubergine. All of it is cut, piled into one heavy pot or earthenware dish with the oil and a little water, and put in a moderate oven for two hours. That is unusual and it is deliberate: the dish is meant to taste of the vegetables and of olive oil rather than of the Maillard browning that would otherwise dominate. The name means variety, and the point is that you can taste which vegetable each mouthful is -- which browning everything first would flatten into a single savoury note.
2. THEY ARE CUT TO DIFFERENT SIZES TO FINISH TOGETHER. Potato in the largest chunks, then aubergine, then courgette, with okra and beans left whole. Since nothing can be added in stages, the sizing is the only tool available to make them all arrive at tender at the two-hour mark. Cut everything the same and the courgettes will be gone before the potatoes are done.
3. THE OKRA GOES IN WHOLE WITH ITS CAPS TRIMMED BUT NOT CUT OPEN. The tops pared carefully without breaking into the pod. Cut okra releases its mucilage and the whole dish goes slimy; left sealed, it stays firm and the texture never appears.
4. ONLY THREE HUNDRED MILLILITRES OF WATER GO IN. The vegetables release a great deal of liquid over two hours, and the finished dish should be glossy with oil and concentrated tomato rather than sitting in broth. Topped up only if it visibly dries, which it rarely does with the lid on.
5. IT IS COOKED COVERED FOR MOST OF IT AND UNCOVERED AT THE END. Lid on at 180°C for ninety minutes, then off for thirty so the surface colours and the liquid reduces. Covered throughout, it is pale and wet; uncovered throughout, the top dries out before the middle is cooked.
6. IT IS NOT STIRRED. Once it is in, it is left alone. Stirring at two hours breaks everything down into a mash and loses the distinct pieces the dish is named for.
7. The lamb, if used, and all the vegetables cut -- POTATO LARGEST, then aubergine, then courgette and peppers; okra and beans left WHOLE with the tops pared carefully.
8. Everything piled into a large heavy casserole or earthenware dish, RAW. Nothing browned.
9. The garlic, tomatoes, purée, pepper paste, salt and pepper added and turned through once with the hands.
10. The olive oil and the hot water poured over.
11. Covered and baked at 180°C for 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES. NOT STIRRED.
12. Uncovered and baked a further 30 MINUTES, until the surface has coloured and the liquid reduced.
13. TESTED: each vegetable should still be identifiable and tender, and the okra should not be slimy. Mush means it was stirred.
14. Rested 15 MINUTES and served warm with bread.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Turkey · All recipes