Sometimes, with Turkish food, all is not what it seems. Self-catering vegetarians visiting Turkey will be delighted by the variety and vibrancy of the colours of seasonal fruit and vegetables on the local markets.
And whether you are vegetarian are not, the meze fridges of Turkish restaurants tempt people of all persuasions with non-meaty goodies like eggplant salad, barbunya pilaki and spicy Antep ezmesi.
However, vegetarians take note! There is a wonderful Turkish dish that appears on many menus in Fethiye restaurants: Aubergine kebab.
The aubergine kebab (patlıcan kebabı) is indeed an aubergine kebab…but it tends to contain a good dose of meat in the form of köfte.
Yes, maybe the name of this kebab doesn’t quite describe its contents too well.
Our vegetarian friend nearly ordered it when we were at Mozaik Bahçe a couple of weeks back until I stopped her in her tracks.
This little episode did, however, alert Barry to the fact that Aubergine Kebab was on the menu and he promptly ordered it.
The vegetarian’s loss was the meat-eater’s gain!
So, if you are visiting Turkey and you order an aubergine kebab, know that you are in for a treat – if you eat meat that is.
Large chunks of aubergine, alternated with juicy köfte and barbecued.
The aubergine slices absorb the flavours and juices from the meat…and I’m making myself crave an aubergine kebab!
Turkey's For Life
Monday 1st of August 2011
@ Corinne: The food here always looks great. Errm, if you call flip-flops and linen trousers national costume, then yes. ;)
Corinne @ Gourmantic
Monday 1st of August 2011
Very nice presentation of the dish!
I bet they dressed in national costume when they served it. No?? :P
Turkey's For Life
Sunday 31st of July 2011
@ Anonymous: Thanks for finding us. :) Yeah, we read Archers of Okcular. He's my plant expert! :)
@ A Seasonal Cook in Turkey: People who come out to Fethiye on holiday don't know that (as in the case of my friend) and these days, what with Fethiye going all up market and everything, you can get yourself a vegetable şiş from a few restaurants. But then maybe that's not a kebab.:) Yeah, we love aubergine too.
Claudia Turgut
Saturday 30th of July 2011
Hi Julia! Aren't kebabs always meat-based? ie vegetarians beware: kebab means meat!! I love anything with aubergine myself ....
Anonymous
Saturday 30th of July 2011
found you from the Archers of Okcular - what an interesting and useful site