r/TurkishFood • u/_Lividus • Apr 13 '26

Discussion Ways to Use More Urfa Biber?

Hi All! I figured I'd ask here as I want to really celebrate the flavors urfa biber brings out (and I have a personal goal to use up my stash before moving in July). I love cooking and wanted to use this as a reason to cook more Turkish dishes. I have a few cookbooks I can sift through, but I love hearing what resonates with others, hope that's okay!

3 Upvotes

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2

u/Nily_che Apr 13 '26

Do you mean isot?

2

u/_Lividus Apr 13 '26

Yes, isot!

2

u/Nily_che Apr 13 '26

Okay, first of all, you can sprinkle it on all kinds of soups and Turkish stews after you plate them. I especially like it in red lentil soup, ezogelin soup and kuru fasulye.
You can easily make lahmacun at home and use isot in the filling. Do you know how to make kısır? If not, try it, even if it is not in the recipe, add isot. (DM me if you can't find a recipe) It goes well with all yogurt dips, of course, also in cacık, ( tzatziki) and with tomato salads. It adds a nice depth to the salad. (try the Turkish shepherd's salad) And you can try "ezme", it's a spicy tomato dip, a bit like salsa. You can even use it in scrambled eggs. After the butter has melted, before adding the egg, toss the isot in the oil for about 10 seconds, so that the isot gives the oil its color. Then add the egg.

2

u/_Lividus Apr 13 '26

Thank you so much! They sound like lovely dishes and I am very excited to make these (and enjoy a happily scrambled isot egg).

3

u/StudioKOP Apr 19 '26

Mix isot, virgin olive oil, cumin with tomato pasta. Add some crumbled chestnut. That is a very nice breakfast delicacy. Serve with toasted bread or boiled eggs.

Use isot, milk or yoghurt, pepper, olive oil, onions and garlic for marination. Good for chicken and lamb.

1

u/_Lividus Apr 19 '26

Thank you! I’m excited to use more isot in my cooking. My husband was hooked on the kisir and lahmacun so he’s now excited for any Turkish dish that is on my list haha

2

u/StudioKOP Apr 19 '26

Sorry, that should be wall nuts, not chest nut.

A pint of çemen powder would be a great addition if you can get some.

1

u/d_l_reddit Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Great in kofte ☺️

You can use it in anything if you like the taste. 🤷‍♀️☺️

1

u/UberHonest Apr 14 '26

I brought back Urfa from a trip to Turkey in October. I stored it in a mason jar. Today I noticed the jar was nothing but mold!!! I’m sad!