Casserole

Casserole dishes from Turkish cuisine are delicious dishes that are traditionally cooked in earthen pots called pottery or stew. Just as the casserole is a container used to cook the dish, it is also the general name of the dishes cooked in this container.

Casserole dishes are usually prepared by combining meat, vegetables, spices and other ingredients. The ingredients put into the dishes may vary according to different regions, but some common ingredients are: meat or fish varieties such as dried beans, chickpeas, eggplants, zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, potatoes, lamb, chicken or fish.

Casserole dishes are quite tasty due to the long cooking time. Dishes are filled into pre-soaked pots, and then cooked over slow fire. In this way, all the flavor and aroma of the dish passes through the process of slow cooking, and the dish eventually acquires an incredible flavor.

In addition, casserole containers are another factor that enhances the flavor of dishes. Casserole containers maintain the temperature of the food and allow the vapors of the ingredients to be released into the dish. This contributes to making the food more delicious.

Casserole dishes are one of the most popular dishes in Turkish cuisine. Some popular Casserole dishes include lamb casserole, chicken casserole, chickpea casserole with meat, zucchini casserole and eggplant casserole. These dishes are usually served alongside rice, such as bread or salad.

As a result, Casserole dishes from Turkish cuisine are quite tasty and nutritious. They can be varied using different ingredients and have a very intense aroma due to the prolonged cooking process. We recommend you to give it a try!

As you can see in the pictures below, I have prepared a stew recipe with Mushroom, Zucchini, Eggplant, Potato, Onion, Pepper paste, Tomato and plenty of Lamb Meat:

Ingredients:

• 500 g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 2 eggplants, diced
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped for cooking
• 2 chili peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pepper paste
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 500 g lamb chops
• 500 g lamb shank
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1 pottery or casserole

Construction:

1. Soak the pot or casserole containers and let it drain well.
2. In a pan heat the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and fry until tender.
3. Add the zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, chili peppers and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Marinate the chops with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Fill the casserole containers with the vegetables you have prepared.
6. Add the pepper paste over the vegetables and mix well.
7. Place the prepared cutlets in the casserole containers.
8. Add 1 cup of water to the casserole containers.
9. Close the lids and cook over heavy heat between 150 and 180 degrees for about 2 hours.
10. After the casserole dishes come out of the oven, you can serve them hot.

Bon appetit! Erhan