Pirzola refers to marinated lamb chops commonly found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. These lamb chops are seasoned with a blend of olive oil, garlic, and oregano, and are typically grilled to enhance their flavor and tenderness. Here's how to make it at home.

Pirzola

Lokum

Spiced ground beef & lamb skewer, with ezme and cacik

Adana

Spiced ground chicken on skewer, ezme and cacik

Tavuk Adana

Chickpeas in garlic tahini sauce, served with naan, carrots & celery

Humus

Tavuk sis, Adana, döner, köfte with ezme and cacik

Mixed Grill

Lentil & bulgur balls with spring onion, garlic, red pepper paste, herbs

Mercimekli köfte

Cheese and herb stuffed unleavened dough (fried), with roasted pepper dip

Sigara Börek

4 different cheeses from different regions in Turkey, roasted hazelnuts, Turkish dried fruit, roasted red pepper dip, rosehip marmalade, marinated olives from Turkey, with fresh fruit, sourdough & naan

Say Cheese!

Petite beurre cookies in chocolate & orange sauce, served on mixed berry and cherry coulis, with cream cheese whipped cream

Mozaik pasta

Stuffed bulgur balls with ground beef, onion, walnuts & spices, fried, served with lemon slice & Antep pistachios

Içli Köfte

Slow cooked beef in tomatoe sauce, over grilled eggplants and cheese, rice, sourdough, onion & sumac salad

Hünkar Begendi

Phyllo dough with walnuts in simple syrup, with Antep pistachios

Baklava

Ground beef dumplings with garlic yoghurt and buttery Turkish red pepper paste sauce, with a side of sourdough

Manti

Mercimek (Soup)

Mashed, lightly spicy tomato dip with fresh & roasted veggies, walnuts, naan

Ezme

Chickpea & veggie patties with salad, humus, tahini sauce, roasted pepper dip

Falafel

Fried veggies in garlicky tomato sauce, served with cacik

Saksuka

Firin Sütlac

Döner

Ice cream with salep and mastic, Antep pistachios

Maras Dondurma

Cucumber, dill and mint in house-made garlic yoghurt, naan

Cacik

Pick five mezes, except cheese platters or icli kofte

Meze Platter

Roasted veggie stew, with rice, cacik, sourdough

Türlü

Grilled lamb chops with oregano, ezme, cacik

In a bowl, mix olive oil, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the lamb chops. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Marinate the Lamb

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill the marinated lamb chops for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they reach your desired level of doneness.

Grill the Lamb

Finely chop the tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, and parsley.

Chop Ingredients

In a bowl, combine the chopped vegetables with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix well and let it sit for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Mix the Ezme

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture. In a bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, dill, olive oil, and salt. Stir well and refrigerate until serving.

Prepare the Cacik

lamb chops

olive oil

fresh oregano

garlic

salt

black pepper

tomatoes

red bell pepper

red onion

parsley

lemon juice

Greek yogurt

cucumber

dill

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Prepare the Ingredients

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Allow it to boil for about 10-15 minutes until it reaches a soft-ball stage (about 240°F or 115°C).

Cook the Mixture

In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of water to create a slurry. Add this mixture to the boiling sugar mixture slowly, stirring continuously.

Make the Cornstarch Mixture

Continue to cook, stirring for about 30-40 minutes until it thickens to a gel-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the rosewater and nuts if using.

Thicken the Mixture

Grease a square baking dish with butter, then pour the mixture into it. Spread evenly and let it cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Set the Lokum

Once set, dust the top with powdered sugar, cut into squares, and dust the sides as well. Serve and enjoy!

Cut and Serve

granulated sugar

cornstarch

water

rosewater

unsalted butter

powdered sugar

chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground lamb, grated onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, chopped parsley, and olive oil. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Mix the Meats

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and mold each portion onto a skewer, pressing firmly to adhere the meat to the skewer.

Shape and Skewer

Place the skewers in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to help them hold their shape while cooking.

Chill

In a bowl, mix the finely chopped tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, chopped parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine.

Combine Ingredients

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, chopped dill, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and well combined.

Mix Cacik Ingredients

Preheat Grill

Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and slightly charred.

Grill the Skewers

Serve the Adana skewers hot with a side of ezme and cacik.

Plate and Serve

ground beef

ground lamb

onion, grated

garlic, minced

red pepper flakes

cumin powder

paprika

fresh parsley, chopped

skewers

tomatoes, finely chopped

red onion, finely chopped

green pepper, finely chopped

yogurt

cucumber, grated

dill, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, grated onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix well until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Prepare the Chicken Mixture

Divide the mixture into equal portions and mold them onto the skewers, shaping them into long kebab forms.

Shape the Kebabs

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the skewers for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and slightly charred.

Grill the Kebabs

In a bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red bell pepper, and parsley. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix well and let it sit for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Prepare the Ezme

In a bowl, mix the yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, chopped dill, olive oil, and salt until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ground chicken

Onion, finely grated

Garlic, minced

Red pepper flakes

Cumin

Paprika

Salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

Skewers

Tomatoes, finely chopped

Cucumber, finely chopped

Onion, finely chopped

Red bell pepper, finely chopped

Parsley, chopped

Lemon juice

Yogurt

Cucumber, grated

Dill, chopped

If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them under cold water.

Prepare the Chickpeas

In a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, ground cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth.

Blend Ingredients

Add water gradually while blending until you reach your desired consistency.

Adjust Consistency

Taste the hummus and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or tahini as desired.

Taste and Adjust

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with naan, carrot sticks, and celery sticks.

Serve

canned chickpeas

tahini

garlic cloves

ground cumin

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Divide the marinade into four portions. Marinate the chicken, ground lamb, and ground beef separately for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

Marinate the Meats

In a bowl, combine finely chopped tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper, and parsley. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Set aside.

Prepare Ezme

In another bowl, mix yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, dill, olive oil, and salt. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate until serving.

Prepare Cacik

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers for Tavuk Sis. Shape the ground lamb into kebabs for Adana. Grill all meats until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Grill the Meats

Serve the grilled meats hot, accompanied by ezme and cacik on the side.

Chicken breast (for Tavuk Sis)

Ground lamb (for Adana Kebab)

Lamb or beef (for Döner)

Ground beef (for Köfte)

In a pot, combine the red lentils with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Cook Lentils

Once the lentils are cooked, add the fine bulgur and 2 cups of boiling water to the pot. Stir and let it sit covered for about 15 minutes until the bulgur absorbs the water.

Prepare Bulgur

Finely chop the spring onions, garlic, parsley, and mint. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, add the chopped spring onions and garlic, and sauté until fragrant.

Mix Vegetables

In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentil and bulgur mixture with the sautéed vegetables, red pepper paste, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until everything is fully incorporated.

With wet hands, take small portions of the mixture and shape them into balls or patties.

Shape Balls

Place the shaped köfte on a serving platter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow them to firm up.

Chill and Serve

Red lentils

Fine bulgur

Boiling water

Spring onions

Garlic cloves

Red pepper paste

Fresh parsley

Fresh mint

Roast the red bell peppers over an open flame or in the oven until charred. Remove the skin and seeds, then blend with garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Make the Dip

Red bell peppers

Red wine vinegar

Slice the Beyaz Peynir, Kashkaval, Tulum, and Çökelek cheeses into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a serving platter.

Prepare the Cheeses

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before adding to the platter.

Toast the Hazelnuts

Chop the dried apricots and figs into smaller pieces if desired and add them to the platter.