How to Make the World's Healthiest Instant Soup: Tarhana

 

Tarhana Powder 

Home Made Dried Tarhana (Turkish Traditional Fermented Soup Tarhana)

We know that healthy and nutritious foods are very important for the life of humanbeing in todays world. And we know that healthy and nutrition is the right of everyone, and we try to share healthy homemade meals recipe with you in this blogsite. Winter preparations and fermented foods are very important tasks for the people who live in the region of Mediterranean. Also Winter preparations and fermented foods are very important tasks for the Turks too. We, as Turks have tried to store all kinds of food by drying or fermenting since the ancient times. One of them is "Tarhana Soup". Tarhana is composed mostly of yogurt and as it is nutritious. It can also be stored for a long time since it has the form of dry powder.

In this post, we are going to share our famous instant soup "Home Made Dried Tarhana Powder" with you. It is our very basic and very popular soup and we consume it alot in the winter times. Formerly, we prepared it in summer for the cold winter times. But, today, you can find it markets and grocerries in every time. 

What is Tarhana Soup (Tarhana Powder)?

Tarhana is the basic and very famous soup of the Anotolian Cuisine. Generally, Tarhana's dough is prepared at home. It is made in the summer time for the cold winter months. Its preparing process is a long process but worth it. Because, this fermentation and dried soup mixture can last up to 2-3 years. Also, Tarhana is an really very easy soup. It is believed to be the first ever "instant Soup mix". In Anatolia, as traditionally, mothers or grandmothers make Tarhana and send to their children, grandchildren who live away from the home. 

So " What is Tarhana?": Tarhana is a popular Mediterranean food obtained by drying, grinding and sieving after fermentation of dough that kneaded with flour (wheat flour), plain yogurt, salt and some vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, red peppers and flavoring plant material. After the inventory of Tarhana Soup, it spread to the neighbouring Balkans very fast. It is recognized as "Tarhana" in Turkey, "Trahanas" in Greece, "Talkuna" in Finland, "Tahonya" in Hungary. Also it is known as "Kushuk" in Iraq, "Kishk" in Egypt. 

Homemade Sun Dried Tarhana

History of Tarhana Soup!

Tarhana has a long history. According to historians, Tarhana Soup is the first instant soup in human history. Also, According to historical records, it was first produced by the Turks in Middle Asia and afterward it spread out to different parts of the world. Tarhana Soup or Tarhana Powder is a fermented cereal - based food and can be easily defined as a mixture of yogurt, flour (cereal flours), yeast, different vegetables, herbs, and spices. It has consumed mainly in Anatolian, also in Cyprus and Balkans for nearly 500 years. 

Story of Tarhana Soup

There is a popular story that where the name of "Tarhana - Tarhana Aşı" comes from. According to story; In Era of the Ottoman Empire, one day in the Ramadan Month (Ramadan is the month in the Muslim lunar calendar. During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline), Sultan Yavuz Selim decided to travel land and visited one of poor house at "iftar" time (iftar: Evening meal during Ramadan Month). He stopped at a poor peasant's house. Husband and wife villager were really so poor and they had not much to offer to Sultan in their "Darhane" (Darhane:Narrow house). Wife of house quickly prepared some hot soup from her stash of soup mix for the Sultan. Then, She had called it "Darhane" soup, and this story was told over and over in Anatolia. So, the words are close in pronunciation (Darhane -Tarhana), the soup's name turned "Darhane" to "Tarhana". It is also known that "Sultan's Soup".

How to make Homemade Tarhana

How to Make Home Made Dried Tarhana (Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Powder)

Tarhana Soup is a labour of love and it is the oldest instant soup in the world. And our Tarhana Soup is a tasty, comforting winter soup and is one of the most famous Turkish recipes. In Anatolia, there are many variations to the Tarhana Soup because of ingredients vary by region to region, such as "Maraş Tarhanası, Uşak Tarhanası etc.". But, in this post, we will share a recipe of "Central Anatolian's Tarhanas" with you. Because, we always prepare this Tarhana soup (powder) for the winter. 

Preparation of tarhana powder takes time but it is worth. Recipe is really easy and not complicated but it just takes time. Tarhana soup (powder) is a fermented cereal - based food and can be easily defined as a mixture of yogurt, cereal flours (we mostly use wheat flour), yeast, different vegetables, herbs, and spices. After the mixing process, Tarhana Dough is fermented for 1 to 5 days and then immediately dried. Both lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast fermentation occur simultaneously, during Tarhana powder production. Therefore, Tarhana has sour and acidic taste with yeast flavour as well. It is sun dried at the home made level or oven dried of the comercial level (we always dry it under sun). Several types of Tarhana powder (Tarhana Soup) can be classified depending upon processing method or raw meterials used. Low moisture (6-10%), low pH (3,5-5,0), and components (organic acids, bacteriosin, etc.) Formed in fermentation have bacteriostatic effect on pathogens and spoilage microorganisms during long term storage (2-3 years) and enhance shelf life. Since Tarhana Soup is a good source of B vitamin, minerals, organic acids, and free amino acids, and since it is a product of LAB and yeast fermentation, it may be considered a junctional and probiotic food.    

Ingredients: 3 cups of water and salt (rock salt or sea salt)

Ingredients: normal size onions and tomatoes

Ingredients: red and green peppers

Ingredients: a bunch of parsley and dill

Ingredients: all purpose wheat flour

Ingredients: plain yogurt

Put water and salt into deep pan and let it boil.

Then peel onions, wash, chop them into cube size,

Then add chopped onions into boiling water,

Then wash your tomatoes and chop them into cube size

Then wash your peppers, remove their seeds and chop
Them into cube size, 

Then wash your parsley and dill and blend them 
Or chop them very finely

Then add all vegetables into boiling water,

Lastly add chopped parsley and dill into boiling water,

Cook mixture for 40-45 minutes until they are tender, 

Mix them with Wooden spoon while they are cooking.
Then let it cool, and then pass through a blender  

Then pass through a blender or sieve,

Blended vegetables mixture,

Then add plain yogurt into mixture,

Then add flour into mixture and knead it for 7-8 minutes

Cover mixture and leave it to fermentation for 10 days,
At room tempurature, during this process add a handful flour
 And knead it 3 times a day, everyday,

Knead your Tarhana Dough until you reach an elastic dough,

Divide the dough into egg-size pieces and place them 
On a clean cloth, 

Dried them out in an airy shaded place keeping slidely
Humid, then turn them upside down in the next day.  

The other day, cut the pieces into little pieces and
let them dry for 2-3 days more and changing their places,

 

Then, rub each piece of dough between the palm of the hands
to make small size grains and again leave to dry

Then, Pass through a sieve (or blender)
and repeat the dying process.

Spread Tarhana Dough on a towel and
let dry for another 2-3 days.  

Then, keep in a glass jar.

This fermentation and dried Tarhana mixture
 can last up to 2-3 years. 

Recipe for Home Made Dried Tarhana (Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Powder)

Here it is the World's Healthiest Instant Soup: Tarhana Powder's recipe; 

Ingredients:

• - 2 Cups water (1/2 liter/500gr),
• - 4 Tablespoons Salt (45-50gr), (in this recipe we used rock salt),
• - 5 Large Onions (500gr- Peel and Chop the Onions into 3 centimeter cubes),  
• - 4 Medium size Tomatoes (500gr-Chop the Tomatoes into 3 centimeter cubes),
• - 3 or 5 Medium size fresh Red Peppers (250gr-Chop the Red Peppers into 3 centimeter cubes),
• - 3 or 5 Medium size fresh green peppers (chop the green peppers into 3 centimeter cubes),
• - 1 Bunch of parsley, chopped finely or blend it,
• - 1 Bunch of dill, chopped finely or blend it,
• - 8 Cups of all purpose flour (900-1000gr),
• - 5 Cups Plain Yogurt (1000gr),

Preperation:

1. First of all, put your all ingredients on your work table. Then, put 2 cups water and salt in a deep pan and let it boil. Meanwhile, peel the onions and wash, and wash the tomateos and peppers, remove the stems of the peppers. Chop the tomateos and other vegetables into 3 centimeter cubes and then blend the parsley and dill (or chop them finely) and add to boiling water and cook for 40-45 minutes until they are tender. Then, let it cool and then pass through a blender or sieve. 
2. Then, put the flour in a large plastic bowl, and mix, make a hole in the middle and place the yogurt and the mashed vegetables, mix well and knead gently for 7-8 minutes to make a dough. Then add flour and knead until you reach an elastic dough which doesn't stick to your hands. Cover and leave to fermentation for 10 days at room temperature. During this time add a handful of flour and knead it three times a day, everyday. 
3. Then, divide the dough into egg-sized pieces and place on a clean cloth. Dry them out in an airy shaded place keeping slidely humid. Then turn upside down the pieces in the next day. The other day, cut the pieces into little pieces and let them dry for 2-3 days more and changing their places. 
4. Then, rub each piece of dough between the palm of the hands to make small size grains and again leave to dry. Pass through a sieve and repeat the dying process. Spread Tarhana Dough on a towel and let dry for another 2-3 days. Then, keep in a glass jar.    

Enjoy!

Please let us know how this "Home Made Dried Tarhana (Turkish Traditional Fermented Soup Tarhana) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

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