Good people are never forgotten

Passport & Plate - Pide

Turkey | Thursday, March 13, 2014 | 2 photos

Ingredients for the dough:100 ml yogurt;130 ml water;70 ml sunflower oil
½ package yeast (1/2 fresh baking yeast=20gr)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
400-450 gr flour;Ingredients for the topping:600 gr ground beef
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
parsley
200 ml home-made tomato sauce (or you can buy in any market)
spices (made of dry vegetables), oregano, black pepper...

 

How to prepare this recipe
In a bowl dissolve the yeast with 130 ml tepid water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then pour the sunflower oil. Mix it and then add the yogurt and salt. Mix again all the ingredients. Gradually add the flour and mix it with the solid ingredients to get dough. Put the dough on the table and knead it. Then put it back in the bowl and cover it with towel. Let it rise till doubled in size, about 30-45 min.

In a meanwhile prepare the topping. Chop the onion, garlic and parsley. Heat the oil in a big pan and saute the onion and garlic. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, mixed dried vegetables and stir. Saute until the meat turns brown and add the oregano, parsley and tomato sauce. Mix well and put it aside to cool.

Take the ready dough and divide it in 4 (or more peaces for smaller pies), make every peace oval-shaped and add from the topping in the middle. If you want, you can brush the edges of the dough with egg yolk.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C. Grease the baking pan with little oil and put the pides on the baking pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool and your pides are ready to be eaten.

 

The story behind this recipe
For our first holiday together,I and my boyfriend,we have decided to visit Kusadasi,Turkey.Immediately after arriving, we have felt the hospitality of the Turkish people.While in Kusadasi,we have created a habit to take long night walks by the sea and later to taste something new from the local cuisine.One night,while walking, we have entered in one of the family restaurants by the sea.Only after entering, we have seen that actually it was 3 o'clock a.m. and that, although the door was open, the chief and his wife were dozing.Immediately after hearing that someone has entered, both of them have woken up and with a smile they have invited us to sit and asked us what we would like to eat. First, we were so embarrassed because of the time, but their lovely big smile has changed everything. After choosing to take pide, the husband has started cooking. The pide was freshly prepared in front of us. While waiting, we have been offered ayran, traditional drink similar to yogurt. Our pides have been ready in 10-15 min and served directly from the stone oven. They were fresh, hot and incredibly delicious.We have never tasted anything so delicious, real mouth-watering pies. If it wasn't so late we would have asked for another one.On our surprise, the two people have set with us and started a pleasant conversation. In one moment, the wife stood up and went to prepare salad from local algae.We have been offered to try it together with raki.After finishing our pides,we have paid and again excused ourselves.While leaving, they have said goodbye with a strong handshake.This place has become our only eating destination for the rest of the holiday.We have tried everything on the menu.On one of our visits, we have asked the husband to tell us the recipe for traditional Turkish pide and again, on our surprise, unselfish and detaily he has explained us how to prepare it.Even now,when I prepare pide,I can feel the smell and the spirit of that summer and of the excellent hospitality.