Homemade Turkish Noodle (Erişte) Recipe

 

Homemade Dried Turkish Noodles - Erişte 

How to Make Dried Turkish Pasta/Noodle (Erişte) 

Turks who live in Anatolia (Turkey) like to consume winter preparations (such as Turkish Pasta Erişte, sun dried yogurt with spices and vegetables soup:Tarhana, sun dried vegetables and fruits, marmalades, jams etc.) very much. Traditionally, mothers or grandmothers make Turkish Pasta Erişte, Tarhana or sun dried vegetables, fruits, jams  and send to their children who live away from the home.

Formerly, winter preparations are so important for the every Turkish family. Actually, people of Mediterranean region have dried many different kind of pasta / noodles, vegetables and fruits beneath the hot, intense Mediterranean sun during the summer in preparation for the winter since ancient times. Especially, in the old times, vegetables, fruits and many ingredients were not always available throughout the year. When we were children, we helped to our moms for the winter preparation. We loved to cut Turkish Pasta "Erişte" very very much. Nowadays, we can find almost any kind of pasta/Erişte, or any vegetable or fruit year round due to agricultural advances and technological advances; however, vegetables and fruits always taste the best when in season.

Homemade Dried Pasta

In this post, we are going to share our "Homemade dried Turkish Pasta (Erişte) recipe" with you. When we were children, our moms cooked Turkish Pasta (Eriste) dish and component of dried apricot (Kayısı Hoşafı) and we were dying of them. But, Unfortunately our children and youth don't like this unique dish and they are mostly keen on store bought noodles, spaghetti and pasta. 

What is Dried Turkish Pasta / Turkish Noodles (Erişte)

Erişte is a homemade Turkish pasta or Turkish egg noodles. It is mostly called as "Erişte", pronounced: "Erishteh". It is also known as "Kesme", in english: "Cutting Pasta". It is mostly cooked alot in central Anatolia. Making Erişte/Kesme - Turkish pasta or Turkish egg noodles, is usually or was a good reason for gathering for the neighborhood women in one house. A group of Turkish women (neighbours) would come together at someone's house. Some would make the Eriste's dough, some would knead it, and some would roll it into rounds, while others would cut the noodles, lay them on tables, or mix them. And other would make Turkish tea and serve the working group with food or just keep company. Turkish pasta/Erişte are usually made late summer or early fall (around September) so that they would dry easily. Generally, they are left on top of the roofs or balconies of houses in large tray.

According to historians; Erişte is originally a Persian term meaning strips. It was consumed alot in Persian era and it was called "Reshteh". On the other hand, according to some Chinese historians; Erişte was known before the Persian era and it was originally a Uyghur Turks dish and it was prepared by the Uyghur Turks who live in Xinjiang Autonomous Region in Northwest China. Also, history of Erişte dates back to over 2000 years ago. 

Turkish pasta / Turkish Noodles (Erişte - Kesme ) already have very few ingredients and no special procedure is applied in the making of it. A simple eggy dough kneaded, rolled and cut.

Homemade Dried Turkish Noidles - Eriste

How to Make Turkish Pasta/Noodle (Erişte) 

We haven't been making Turkish pasta / Turkish noodle (erişte) for a long time because of our children dont enjoy this dish. Formerly, our mothers or mother-in-law have prepared it for us every year. Sometimes, we prepare this recipe for nostalgia in our kitchens, but not alot! Recipe is so simple and easy and it is not complicate. Also, ingredients are very simple and you just need flour, egg, water and salt. When you prepare vegetarian versiyon of it, you need just flour, water and salt. 

What Kind of Flour is Used for Making Turkish Pasta / Turkish Noodles (Erişte)?

As we said before, Turkish pasta / Turkish noodles (Erişte) already have very few ingredients and no special procedure is applied in the making of erişte. The only thing you should pay attention to is that the flour you use is high in protein. It is really important. If the flour is high in protein, the dough will be hard and easy to cut, and will keep its shape after being cut. The protein amount of the flours is written on the nutrition table on the package of flour. In normal flours, this amount is generally around 9-10 g. When you need to use a high protein flour, it should be over 11-12 g.

How to Dry Turkish Pasta / Turkish Noodles (Erişte)?

Normally and traditionally they are dried under the sun. After the preparation of Turkish pasta / Turkish noodles (Erişte), they are left on top of the roofs or balconies of houses in large tray for dry. Also, you can dry it at room temperature or in the oven. This means that you do not need to prepare the it in autumn season as winter preparation. You can even do it in the middle of winter. But, Augost and September months are always better for the  preparation of Turkish Pasta / Turkish Noodles (Erişte).

Ingredients: high protein flour

Ingredients: you need to use high protein flour= 11-12 g

Ingredients: 4 or 5 eggs,

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt,

Ingredients: a cup of water, 

Whisk the eggs, salt and water in a deep bowl

Then add your flour part by part and knead,

Knead your dough mixtur until you have a very hard dough

Dvide your dough into 5-6 equal parts and cover them
with a clean kitchen towel,

Then with a rolling pin roll each dough out into circle 

Then fold the dough in 5-6 folds like business letter

Then cut it into desired lenght with a wide and sharp knife 

Then spread the erişte into a large tray and stir fruquently
While it dry under the sun 

Put the tray in the sun and stir fruquently. 

Then place the dried erişte into a lidded container 

Store it in a cool place

Recipe for Turkish Pasta/Noodle (Erişte) 

Do you cook pasta alot? Do you make homemade pasta in your kitchen? 

Here it is our dried Turkish Pasta/Noodle (Erişte) recipe;

Ingredient:

• 1 Kg High protein Flour,
• 4 - 5 Eggs,
• 1 Tablespoon salt,
• 1 Cup of Water, (if necessary, you can add a little bit more water),

P.S: if you want to prepare vegetarian Turkish Pasta/Noodle (Erişte), you can use only flour, water and salt.

Preparation:

1. First of all, put your all ingredients on your kitchen container. Then, whisk the eggs, water and salt in a deep bowl. Then add your flour part by part and knead until you have a very hard dough that does not stick to your hand. Then take your dough on the counter and knead it for about 10-15 minutes and then cover it and rest for 15 minutes. 
2. Then, divide your dough into 5-6 equal parts and cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for half an hour. Then, sprinkle flour on the counter and with a rolling pin roll each dough out into circles or rectangulars in the thickness of a knife edge (for about 55-60 cm / nearly 22-23 inch in diameter and 2 mm / nearly 0.1 inch thick). 
3. Then, lay these dough sheets on a clean table cloth in a room away from direct sunlight and let dry (They should be dry enough so that when you cut it with your knife it wouldn't stick yet not too dry so that it would break. This process takes nearly 7 to 11 hours). 
4. Then, fold the dough in 5-6 folds like a business letter and cut it into the desired length with a wide and sharp knife (we cut each circle into 3-4 cm / nearly 1.5 icnhes wide strips. Then, spread the Turkish pasta / Turkish noodkes (Eriştes) into a large tray. Roll and cut the other dough pieces in the same way and place them on the tray. 
5. Then, if possible, put the tray in the sun, stir frequently and dry them in the sun for one day or two days. Make sure they don't stick to each other. If it happens, separate them with your hands. 
6. If it is not possible to dry them in the sun, you can dry them at room temperature stirring more often or in the oven at low heat (not allowing them to brown). 
7. After dried place the Turkish pasta / Turkish noodles (Erişte) in a lidded container and store in a cool place.

Enjoy the recipe!

Please let us know how this "Homemade Turkish Noodle (Erişte) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

Homemade Dried Turkish Noodles / pasta - Erişte - Kesme

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