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Iskender Kebab Recipe

This Iskender Kebab recipe is easy and delicious. Ask your butcher to prepare your meat for you so you can get the döner meat texture.
Course Main
Cuisine Turkish
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 830kcal
Author Turkey's For Life

Ingredients

  • 300 g entrecote marinated, very thinly sliced
  • 150 g pitta bread
  • 1 tbsp natural Turkish yoghurt
  • 4 thin green peppers
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 1 for marinade, 1 for frying
  • pinch dried oregano

For The Sauce

  • 1 medium tomato finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic peeled & grated
  • 1 heaped dessert spoonful tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 pinch chilli flakes
  • salt & pepper to season
  • 400 ml water
  • 2 tbsp butter melted & sizzling, to finish

Instructions

  • Before you start making your Iskender Kebab, marinate your steak for a couple of hours in the olive oil and oregano.

For The Sauce

  • First of all, set your sauce simmering.
  • Gently heat your olive oil in a saucepan and add your chopped tomato.
  • Stir around for a few minutes and then add your garlic, chilli flakes and pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Once your tomato has really softened, add your tomato paste (salça) and a ladleful of water.
  • Stir and heat through until the salça has dissolved.
  • Ladle in more water and add your vinegar and stir gently.
  • Continue to add more water intermittently to keep your sauce at the thickness you'd like.
  • After around 30 minutes, remove your pan from the head and seal with a lid to keep warm.

For The Meat

  • Whilst your sauce is simmering, grill your peppers under a high heat until charred.
  • Place them to one side.
  • Heat olive oil in a frying pan and, once hot, start to fry your marinated beef.
  • Meanwhile, heat your pide bread (pitta bread) until it is hot and lightly toasted.
  • Fry your meat until browned and you also have some crispy bits, too.

Build Your Iskender Kebab

  • Now you need to work fast.
  • Take two serving plates.
  • Remove your bread from the oven, cut it into bite-sized chunks and divide between the two plates.
  • Now top the bread with your beef and add a generous knob of butter to the frying pan you used for the beef.
  • Place the pan back on the heat.
  • Pour your tomato sauce over both plates and add a serving of yoghurt to each.
  • Place your charred peppers on the plate and pour your sizzling butter over the top of your tomato sauce.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can use lamb or chicken, as well as beef, to make Iskender Kebab at home.
  • In Turkey, a soft, doughy pide bread is used for Iskender Kebab. If you can't get this, other types of unleavened bread will do the trick.
  • Calories are approximate and meant as a rough guide.