A classic of Turkish cuisine: pirasa! Sure, pirasa actually just means "leek". But as is the case with nohut yemegi or kabak yemegi, the dish is also named after the respective vegetable. So there it is: Pirasa Yemegi - leek dish!
In terms of ingredients, the Turkish pirasa recipe is very similar to the one with zucchinis. Here, a few simple ingredients are transformed into a real culinary delight. That's generally the charm of Turkish cuisine – you don't need much, but it always tastes like a lot!
Everything about our Pirasa recipe
Not in "we" form today, because the man behind turkishfoodblog is out of town and I would be lying if "WE" loved this Turkish leek recipe. Of course, this has nothing to do with pirasa yemegi as such. Some people supposedly don't like leeks.
For my part: I'm a big fan of this Turkish leek recipe as it's simply ready in no time and nice and filling, yet light. The highlight is the rice. What's more, this pirasa recipe is extra quick and easy because, unlike other recipes, you don't need to sauté onions.
The Pirasa recipe gets its flavor primarily from the combination of good olive oil*, good tomato paste, lemon and a little sugar. Add a few slices of carrot, pieces of leek and rice and the Turkish leek Recipe is complete!
We've been buying our olive oil directly from the village on the Mediterranean lately (online though). Honestly, we never tasted such good olive oil! While the carrots were sautéing in olive oil, the whole kitchen smelled like olives.
This olive oil has made us realize how important good ingredients are. The tomato paste is also a really good one from the village. In contrast to the classic salca from the can in the supermarket, "real" tomato paste tastes much more intense, less sweet and quite salty. On the other hand, you hardly need to add any more salt due to the salt content. I would therefore almost recommend Italian tomato paste in a tube* over the classic Turkish brands. And if you have the opportunity, buy tomato and bell pepper paste directly in Turkey at the market or in a spice store!
And how does the Turkish leek taste?
Very, very good! With the simple ingredients, you might not even know what to expect. It is simply a delicious combination of fruity and sour flavors.
It goes well with yoghurt or you can simply enjoy the Turkish leek recipe as it is. Afiyet olsun!
Pirasa Yemegi: Turkish leek recipe with rice
Ingredients for 3 portions
- 5 leeks (without green)
- 2 carrots
- 1 tomato
- 3 tbsp rice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- juice of half a lemon
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp (or cube) sugar
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Step 1: Peel the carrots and cut them into slices. Now sauté them in olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat.
Step 2: Cut the leek into pieces about 2 cm/little less than 1 inch thick and add to the carrots. Mix everything together.
Step 3: Now add the tomato paste to the pan. Mix everything together and add the rice.
Step 4: Chop the tomato and add it too. Now add the lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and 400 ml/ little less than 2 cups water to the pan.
Step 5: When everything is simmering, put a lid on the pan and cook the Turkish leek recipe over low-medium heat for a good 20 minutes.
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