Interview with Dilara Erbay

Chef Dilara is the Turkish culinary expert for 196 flavors.

Tell us more about your knowledge and experience when it comes to Turkish cuisine.

I have traveled all around Turkey. I have researched village by village, local ingredients, specialties and old lost recipes. I brought those flavors to Istanbul’s restaurant scene (which was commercial and global instead of G-Local) with surprising touches, and called it Abracadabra traditional and experimental cuisine.

We opened Abracadabra in 2002, and in that first year, I was nominated by News Week Magazine as the pioneer of Turkish New Cuisine. After a few years, Condé Nast chose us as one of 50 amazing restaurants in the World.

What makes Turkey’s cuisine unique? What sets it apart from other Western Asian and Southern Balkan cuisines?

All cuisines are unique, village from village let alone countries! But what makes Turkish cuisine more elaborate is its history and geography. It is situated in the middle of three continents, and has the cultural heritage of Ottoman Empire, Nomad Turks, Silk Road, and Anatolian ancient civilizations. So much information and knowledge! Very rich culture. Diversity of ingredients and culture meet in Ottoman Palaces. So I think this can be set apart from its neighbors.

So like let’s say kofte meat or vegetarian balls – everybody has this but in Turkey we would make it with a very rich combination of spices like cumin, paprika, fenugreek, chili, cloves, allspice, black pepper, garlic, onion, parsley… And all our neighbors would only pick few of those!

What’s your favorite Turkish recipe (and why)?

Stuffed grape leaves – genius idea as the whole experience. Also Mediterranean and home comfort food.

What’s the most unusual dish from your country?

Raw meat balls: you cook the meat with the heat of your hands since you’re working on it for an hour!

Which other cuisines do you like, or influence your cooking?

I love Japanese, Indian, Thai, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish… Common love for all when I think about it, and I am inspired by everything!

Which places would you recommend during a visit to Turkey?

Istanbul, Cappadocia, Gobeklitepe, Bozcaada.

Other than your mother or grandmother (or male relatives, of course!), which Turkish chef is a reference for you?

I love Mustafa Dagdeviren, very sincere, real food he makes.

What are the main difficulties of Turkish cuisine?

There are no difficulties but experience, patience, and compassion really help!

What would you suggest for someone preparing a Turkish menu: starter, main course, dessert?

For a classic Turkish family dinner: Lentil soup, meyhaneli bulgur pilavi, türlü güveç (like ratatouille prepared in a clay pot), and sultan (rice pudding).

And here is a creation of mine called burning hearts.

I have named this recipe for dear Sufi poet Rumi”s birthday celebration feast. In Sufism, everything is love, everything is God, everything is One. There is also a beautiful pain in your heart on this path of this teaching of oneness. So I made these sun-dried stuffed chilli peppers and tomatoes with the traditional 14th century Anatolian cuisine.

Ingredients
1 cup (240ml) olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (185g) white rice (medium or long grain)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon pepper paste
1½ cups (360ml) water
1 bunch fresh parsley and mint, finely chopped
½ cup (35g) toasted pine nuts
¼ cup (40g) raisins
kosher salt
½ cup (120ml) pomegranate molasses
freshly ground black pepper
6 tomatoes
6 sun dried peppers ( they are sold in Turkish groceries among sun dried aubergines)

Caramelize the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
Add rice, spices and pastes. Stir in the water.
When the rice has absorbed all the water, mix in the herbs, pine nuts, and raisins. Season with salt.
Stuff the peppers and tomatoes, put them on a tray add the molasses on top and cook in the oven for 30 min at 350 F (175˚C).

Dilara Erbay

Dilara is a globe-trotting food artist and pioneer of Turkish new cuisine. She loves to combine food and creative art in the form of food installations and performances, plus holistic cooking workshops around the world. As well as being the creator of world-acclaimed restaurants Abracadabra, she is the author of the book, Natural Nutrition Guide.