Turkish Style Tarator Recipe

 

Turkish Style Tarator

Turkish Style Tarator Dip (or Walnut and Garlic Sauce)

Many of the most familiar grains, spicies, vegetables, fruits and nuts that we eat today in our kitchens spread through Central Asia in antiquite era. These foods are also called "Silk Road Foods". Historically, Silkroad trades have been very important for the civilizations. Today, we know that from China in the east to Persia and on to the Mediterranean region in the west, as the Silk Road . By the commercial transportation of silk road, west world (mostly Eastern European Countries, Middle East and Mediterranean regions) access to the fruits, vegetables, and spices of cultures of East. 

As we mentioned earlier of the posts; Cuisines of Turkish, Indian, Moroccan, Indonesian and Chinese are known that with their famous spicy foods all around the world. Especially, when you come and taste foods from Anatolia (Turkey). You can say that yourself "i never met a spice or herb, i didn't like". All our spicies and herbs are very unique and first quality. We, as Turkish people (Especially, in Eastern part of Turkey), like spicy foods very much. For example; Turkish Style Tarator Dip (Walnut and Garlic Sauce) is one of them. It is very nice dip or sauce that you can consume it as a snack or side dish.

Today, we are going to mention about our famous Turkish Style Tarator Dip (Walnut and Garlic Sauce) and share its recipe to you. It is very famous in the Mediterranean diet.

Walnut & Garlic Sauce

What is Turkish StyleTarator Dip (Walnut and Garlic Sauce)? 

Turkish style tarator is a creamy, sharp dip made with Turkish walnuts, garlic, vegetables and day-old bread (or breadcrumbs). We have consumed it since we were children. It is very famous throughout the Turkey, Cyprus island, Middle East Countries and many Eastern Europe countries.  

In Anatolia (Turkey), tarator refers to a walnut and garlic sauce with spicies and vegetables while in Syria and Lebanon the name refers to a sauce that contains sesame sauce (tahini) and lemon juice. It is made throughout the Eastern Europe and the Middle East as a soup, appetiser or sauce, but in Anatolia (Turkey), we prepare it as sauce and use it as snack or side dish.  

According to Harvard experts and their nutrition news and tips; Turkish Style tarator is very healthy food for the human organism. We can say that this food is one of the anti aging foods.

How to Make Turkish Style Tarator Dip (Walnut and Garlic Sauce)? 

There are many different recipes and ingredients for the tarator in Turkey. Its recipe and ingredients change region to region in Anatolia. But, main ingredients are walnuts and garlic. Turkish people use various walnuts, garlic, yogurt or tahini, tomato and pepper paste, sometimes day old bread or breadcrumbs, and often cucumber, carrot, zucchini, herbs, vinegar or lemon juice. 

Healthy and Delicious Snack or Side Dish 
Turkish Tarator

Today, we are going to share central Anatolia's common tarator recipe to you. This recipe is used very often in the central of Anatolia. Ingredients are same, but central Anatolian people often use tomato paste and pepper paste instead of the yogurt or sesame sauce (tahini) in their recipe. We try other recipes, but we often prepare central Anatolia's recipe during the year. Its preparation is not complicated. It is very easy and simple. There is no cooking process! Just take all your ingredients on your work surface and mix them with the blender or mixer machine very well. Thats it.

When made as a dip or sauce, it is often served with seafood or fried vegetables. Plus, it is served as a dip or spread with toasted sourdough bread or crackers.  It is also great with crudites. Actually, you can use this recipe as a dip or sauce.

Recipe of Turkish Style Tarator Dip (Walnut and Garlic Sauce)? 

In this post, we are sharing our very common tarator recipe to you. But, if you want you can make this recipe as well;

Recipe-1: Walnut and Garlic Sauce

Recipe-1: ingredients: olive oil, Yogurt, sesame sauce 

Recipe-1: ingredients: walnut, garlic, cucumber 
and carrot  

Recipe-1: ingredients: spicies

Put all ingredients into blender and mix them until 
smooth. If too thick, thin with water

Recipe-1: Turkish Style Tarator 

Recipe 1;

Ingredients: 1 Cup Ground walnuts, 2 or 3 Cloves garlic, 2-4 slices day-old bread or 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 1 Cup yogurt, 2 Tablespoons sesame sauce (tahini), 1 carrot (grated), 1 cucumber (grated), 1/2 Teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, thyme.

Preparation: If you use slices of day-old bread, you should soak them in water, and squeezed out then put in a blender (or mix breadcrumbs directly) with walnuts, garlic, olive oil, sesame sauce (tahini), yogurt, carrot, cucumber, salt and spicies. Then, blend all of them until smooth, this sharp and creamy dip has a similar texture to hummus dish but a much richer and more complex flavour than it. If too thick, thin with water. If you want, you can use extra olive oil to drizzle on top and sprinkle the red pepper flakes on top. 

Recipe-2: Turkish Tarator Dip is a very nice snack or 
side dish 

Recipe-2: Main ingredients are walnuts and garlic

Recipe 2;

Here it is our very common tarator recipe; it is a vegan side dish and its taste is really resembling to meatless meat.  

Very good family favourite;

Serving: 6-8 Servings, Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes, Cooking Time: No Cooking time, Cuisine: Mediterranean & Anatolian Cuisines,

Recipe-2: Breadcrumbs or one day old bread slices

Recipe-2: ingredients: olive oil and sesame sauce (Tahini)

Recipe-2: ingredients: tomat paste and pepper paste

Recipe-2: ingredients: 1/2 lemon juice 

Recipe-2: ingredients: Thyme and red pepper flakes

Recipe-2: ingredients: salt, ground black pepper 
and cumin

Recipe-2: you need minced garlic and ground walnut

Recipe-2: Add breadcrumbs or one day old, soaked and
Squeezed bread into blender

Recipe-2: Add tomato paste and pepper paste into blender

Recipe-2: Add extra virgin olive oil into blender slowly

Recipe-2: Add sesame sauce (tahini)

Recipe-2: Add spicies 

Recipe-2: Add spicies

Recipe-2: Add recipes, if you want, you can add more
spicies you like

Recipe-2: Add lemon juice and blend all ingredients 

Mix all ingredients well. If too thick, thin with water

We serve walnut-garlic tarator with toasted bread

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup ground walnuts,
• 2-3 Cloves garlic, minced or crushed,
• 2-4 Slices day-old bread or 2 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs, (in this recipe, we used breadcrumbs),
• 2 or 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, (or 2 Tablespoons grape vinegar, but lemon juice is better),
• 1/2 or 1 Teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, thyme, (if you want, you can add other spicies, you like), 
• 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil,
• 2 Tablespoons sesame sauce (tahini),

Preparation:

1. First of all put your all ingredients on your work table. Then, combine all your ingredients in the container of a blender or food processor. 
2. We mean that; firstly drop walnut into a blender or food processor with its motor running, then drop in garlic and process until finely ground (or if you want, you can add directly ground walnut and minced garlic into a blender). Then add your sesame sauce (tahini), tomato paste and pepper paste in it and mix.
3. Then add breadcrumbs (or day-old, soaked then squeezed bread) and lemon juice and process until smooth. With blender or food processor's motor still running, add extra virgin olive oil in a slow, and add salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, thyme in it. Mix all ingredients well. If too thick, thin with water (we don't need it, because we like it as thick).
4. Then, transfer it to a bowl and serve.
5. We serve this walnut-garlic tarator with toasted bread (grilled sourdough bread is better) in breakfasts. Also, Turkish Style Tarator Dip goes well with mussels and fried fish as well as vegetables.  

Enjoy!

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Please let us know how this "Turkish Style Tarator Dip Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

Turkish Style Tarator - Walnut & Garlic Sauce 

Turkish Style Tarator Dip

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