Small plates with tea
Turks snack the way Pakistanis do: something warm and savoury with a glass of tea in the afternoon, or a few small plates set out when guests drop by. Turkish snacks tend to be lighter than our pakoras and samosas, with more herbs, cheese and vegetables, and they often double as part of a spread.
The dishes
Mücver are soft fritters of grated zucchini, white cheese, eggs, flour and lots of dill, mint and parsley, shallow-fried until golden and served with garlic yogurt. Zucchini is sold in larger Pakistani markets; tori or lauki can be used instead if you squeeze them very well.
Sigara böreği are crisp, cigar-shaped rolls of pastry around white cheese and parsley. Pakistani samosa patti makes them easy, and they’re the Turkish answer to a cheese spring roll.
Çılbır and menemen also work as light evening meals, and lahmacun cut into strips makes a good party snack.
Frying light
- Shallow-fry mücver in a little oil rather than deep-frying.
- Squeeze grated vegetables thoroughly; water makes fritters soggy and spatter.
- Bake börek brushed with oil or egg if you want to use less oil; it won’t be quite as crisp, but it’s close.
Make ahead for guests
Börek rolls can be filled and frozen raw, then fried straight from the freezer, exactly like samosas. Mücver batter is best fresh, but cooked mücver reheat well in a hot oven.
How to serve
Serve with Turkish tea, a bowl of garlic yogurt, and a plate of olives and tomatoes. For a full spread, see our meze and Turkish salads post.
More to try
İçli köfte are crisp bulgur shells filled with spiced mince and walnuts, the Turkish cousin of kibbeh.
Also try kumpir, the loaded baked potato of Ortaköy, and mercimek köftesi, red lentil and bulgur patties that need no frying.