Ezmeler (Turkish dips)

Ingredients

Directions

1. 1

   For ezme (tomato-paprika dip), carve tomatoes crosswise and scald them with boiling water. Quench cold, peel off skin and cut into quarters. Remove stalk and seeds. Clean, wash and chop the peppers.

2. 2

   Peel and chop the onion. Chop the tomatoes, peppers and onion finely but still chunky in the universal chopper. Season the vegetable mix with salt and let it drain in a sieve for about 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile peel garlic and chop finely. Wash herbs, shake dry and chop leaves finely. Mix drained vegetable mix in a bowl with garlic, herbs, pepper paste, paprika powder, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and oil.

4. 4

   Ezme approx. 5 hours, better over night, covered and put in a cool place.

5. 5

   Coarsely chop the walnuts. Roast briefly in a pan without fat, take out and let cool down. Just before serving, sprinkle Ezme with walnuts.

6. 6

   For Havuc ezmesi (carrot-cumin dip) peel, wash and finely grate carrots. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the carrots, cover and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring continuously.

7. 7

   Remove the pot from the heat and let the carrots cool down. Then stir in yoghurt. Season dip with salt and cumin.

8. 8

   For Patlican ezmesi (eggplant dip), preheat oven (electric oven: 225 °C/circulating air: 200 °C/gas: see manufacturer). Line baking tray with baking paper. Clean, wash and prepare the aubergines. Prick the aubergine several times with a fork.

9. 9

   Place the garlic bulb on the baking tray. Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.

10. 10

    Take out and let it cool down for about 5 minutes. Peel and prepare for the dip: Cut the flesh into small pieces and immediately sprinkle with 2 tbsp. lemon juice. Important: Put the aubergine pulp in a sieve and squeeze out a little so that the dip does not become too liquid.

11. 11

    Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin. Mix garlic with a fork. Let it cool down. Then stir in olive oil and yoghurt. Season to taste with salt, pepper and possibly some lemon juice.