Growing up many a fond memory was made in Turkey. It was my mother’s destination of choice for family holidays in the 1990s – thanks to the guaranteed Summer sun (and bargain prices before Turkey started accepting the euro). I was recently reminded of the richness of Turkish culture and the diversity of its natural wonders thanks to ‘Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure’ – a must-watch four part travel documentary.But, despite spending many weeks in Turkey, I’ve never really got to know the country’s cuisine. And, even though I love anything Middle Eastern and edible, until a few weeks ago I didn’t even have one Turkish recipe up my sleeve. But now I do – thanks to a work colleague and friend, Aleyna, who has a Turkish heritage. Well really it’s thanks to Aleyna’s mum, Helen. Here I’m sharing a recipe for not only red pepper paste (biber salçasi) but also how Helen uses it to make ‘acuka’ – a rich Middle Eastern tasting pepper and walnut based dip or spread.
Part 1: Turkish red pepper paste – biber salçasi
Red pepper paste, called biber salçasi, is a Turkish pantry staple that’s used as a flavouring for other dishes, like stews, sauces and soups. The base ingredients are really simple – red peppers, lemon, salt, olive oil and paprika. (Note that you can also buy biber salçasi in jars).
Ingredients
- 3 large red peppers/capsicum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp paprika
Method
- Char the red peppers either over an open flame (ideal to get a smoky flavour) or by roasting.
- Once the skin is blackened it should be easy to de-skin the peppers. Remove the stem and seeds.
- Puree the flesh that remains with a blender.
- Add to a saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
- Simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes or until a thick, rich paste forms.
- Cool then transfer to a sterilised jar, seal with olive oil and refrigerate. OR cool and then move on to part 2 of this recipe and turn your red pepper paste into acuka….
Part 2: Acuka
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup biber salçasi – red pepper paste
- 1/2 cup walnuts (or hazelnuts)
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp each of dried oregano/thyme, cumin powder and chilli powder
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Method: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and puree with a hand blender, gradually adding olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Transfer to a sterilised jar, seal with olive oil and refrigerate.
Love red peppers. Can’t manage spicy, so it’s nice to have an addition to soups and stews and other dishes that isn’t spicy. Thanks, Laura and ahelen
Ps Simmer for 45 minutes? How liquidy would it be once puréed.
Thanks for the comments – it need to be pretty thick once purées so 45 minutes on a low heat should be plenty of time….
Thanks for responding, Laura. What I meant to ask was, is there enough liquid coming from three capsicums to be able to simmer for 45 minutes. 😏
Hi Mary – possibly not I would suggest adjusting the cooking time and keeping a close eye on the liquid….
Very nice sounding recipe…Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks Carol – glad you like it!
oh wow. Love anything that has to do with chile peppers or bell peppers! But that walnut sauce sounds incredible!!!
In that case you’ll love this recipe Chef Mimi – you can dial up the heat with chillies too…..
I’ve been looking for a recipe for that walnut spread, one without bread crumbs. This looks perfect. Pinned.
Thank you Liz – I’m sure you will love it, very versatile 😊