5 Authentic Turkish Zucchini Recipes
Turkish · Organized from the video by Turkish Food Travel
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Ingredients
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Steps
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- 1
For Kabak Dolması: Soak 1/3 cup rice in warm water. Scoop out the center of 5–7 small/medium zucchinis. In a bowl, mix 250g minced meat, 1 large diced onion, 1 big handful of parsley, 3 chopped tomatoes, 2 tsp tomato paste, 1 tsp pepper paste, 2 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt. If meat is lean, add a drizzle of olive oil. Stuff zucchinis, leaving space for rice to swell. In a pan, sauté 1 tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp pepper paste with 2–3 sliced garlic cloves for a couple of minutes. Place zucchinis in the pan, drizzle with enough hot water to reach halfway, and cook on medium then medium-low for 40–45 minutes until soft. Rest 10–15 minutes and serve with full-fat yogurt.
💡 Don't squeeze the stuffing too much to allow rice to expand.
⏱ 40–45 minutes⏱ 10–15 minutes
- 2
For Kabak Çığırtma: Cut 4–5 baby zucchinis into finger-sized batons. Sauté zucchinis in 3–4 tbsp olive oil over high heat until brown spots appear. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté 2 sliced onions until soft, then add 3 grated tomatoes and 3–4 chopped garlic cloves. Cook until it becomes a sauce. Return zucchinis to the pan with 1/2 cup hot water, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for about 20 minutes until soft. Garnish with fresh parsley.
💡 High heat helps create flavor through browning.
🔥 high heat → simmer⏱ 20 minutes
- 3
For Tuzlu Kabak Keki: Grate 2 cups of zucchini (coarsely) and squeeze out excess moisture. In a bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 1/2 to 3/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup olive oil + 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Mix in 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbsp corn flour, 2 tbsp semolina, 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, dried mint, black pepper, paprika, and chopped dill/parsley. Add 1/3 cup crumbled Turkish white cheese. Pour into a baking dish or air-fryer-safe dish. Top with nigella and sesame seeds. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Rest 10–15 minutes before serving.
💡 If the mixture is too wet, add more yogurt or flour as needed.
🔥 180°C⏱ 20 minutes⏱ 10–15 minutes
- 4
For Kıymalı Kabak Yemeği: Sauté 100g ground beef in 2 tbsp olive oil until color changes. Add 1 chopped onion and 3–4 sliced garlic cloves, then sauté. Add 1 tbsp pepper paste and 2 grated tomatoes. Add 5 chopped zucchinis, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Add a little water to steam the ingredients, then simmer until zucchinis are soft. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
💡 Serve with pasta, rice, or a salad.
🔥 steam → simmer⏱ 15 minutes
- 5
For Kabak Mücver: Grate 3 medium zucchinis and 1 small carrot. Squeeze out juice from zucchini and onion (1 medium/3 spring onions) mixture. In a bowl, mix 70g feta, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp corn flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and chopped dill/mint. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. If too juicy, add more flour. Shape into patties and shallow fry in hot oil until golden on both sides. Serve with yogurt and fresh dill.
💡 Use the coarse side of the grater and avoid the seedy inner part of the zucchini.
Tips
- For stuffed zucchini, you can use grape leaves to make sarmas with leftover stuffing.
- For the savory cake, using a cooling rack prevents the bottom from getting soggy.
- For fritters, if the mixture is too wet, adjust with more flour.
This recipe was organized from the source video's transcript. Amounts follow what the video presents. Source: Turkish Food Travel on YouTube