Menemen recipe from Aegean Cost of Turkey
Some Aegean people call this dish as Melemen
Servings: (2 servings)
Prep: 25 mins
Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
2 eggs
1 medium onion, finely diced
(instead of onion you may use 3 green onion – optional)
1 small bell pepper
(for spicy or hot pepper lovers you may use 2 Anaheim or Jalapeño chile, chopped)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tbsp salça / Turkish tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mint ( or use a few fresh chopped mint leaves )
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Dash of cumin ( optional )
Salt
Directions:
Chopped fresh tomatoes, peppers, parsley and diced onions before start cooking.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onions and fry for 2 minutes or “sauté” the onions on a high heat. Add chopped peppers, stir in medium heat for 3 minutes. Lower the heat and add tomatoes in it. Add salça and stir about 10 minutes. Add parsley and all spices into the fry pan. Cook another 2 minutes and break the eggs one by and stir all together. Cover the pan and cook this on low flame till the eggs are cooked.
Menemen is spring and summer dish commonly served at Aegean cost of Turkey. Menemen is a district of İzmir Province and a small town. The town of Menemen is located at a distance of 35 km (22 mi) from İzmir center (Konak Square). It is famous with their tasty ‘menemen dish’
and ‘yayik ayran’ .
Classically you serve this dish with a glass of ayran!
Ayran ( in Turkish ) is a yogurt-based cold beverage. It is a similar beverage Indian ‘salty lassi’. Ayran is usually served chilled. The word ‘yogurt’ comes from Turkish word “yoğurt”, deriving from the verb “yoğurtmak”, which means “to blend” – a reference to how yogurt is made.
Making Ayran Drink:
Pour 1 cup of yogurt (use plain yoghurt) in a medium mixing bowl.
Beat the yogurt until it is completely smooth using the electric beater or whisk
Add in the water 2 cups (half cup at a time), beating it into the yogurt after each addition.
When all the water is added in, continue beating for 3 minutes. The surface of the ayran should be a bit bubbly. Add salt to taste. Do not forget this drink shouldn’t be thick.
