Zeytinyagli bakla is among popular vegetable dishes at Stanbuli
This traditional Turkish vegetarian dish goes well with bread and wine and is easy to make, but it’s not hummus.
The dish: Zeytinyagli bakla — olive oil and lemon braised broad beans with dill — at Stanbuli, Sydney.
Back story: “The vegetable is the true champion of Turkish cookery,” says Ibrahim Kasif, chef, partner and pivotal figure of the restaurant Stanbuli, in Sydney’s Enmore, where Turkish ideas are parlayed for a contemporary, mixed audience. “Literally reflecting the flavour of the season, meals are plant-based and put seasonal produce front and centre as the culinary star of the show.
“While eggplant is the unquestionable leading lady of traditional recipes, artichokes, okra, zucchinis, peppers, celeriac and beans are all regular features. Cooked in a variety of ways, vegetables provide the basis for sophisticated, robust and nuanced meals.”
Given a classically Turkish treatment, says Kasif, vegetables are exposed to the “holy trinity of liquids” — olive oil, lemon juice and water — then seasoned with salt and fresh herbs. Dishes are served warm, room temperature or cold and are designed to be eaten with good crusty bread.
“I grew up in a Turkish-Australian household and my background is uniquely Turkish Cypriot,” Kasif says. “My paternal grandparents were some of the first Turkish Cypriots to immigrate to Australia in the 1950s. Their story was about survival and a central tenet in the story of survival is food — physically a source of nourishment and emotionally a core locus for family bonding.
“During my school years my grandmother used to cook for my family every day. She would spend her days foraging and sourcing, and one of the many ingredients on her hit list included tender young broad beans suitable for braising.”
Once selected, the preparation began. “I remember being mesmerised by her dexterity in removing the string from the pods but keeping the bean pod intact,” Kasif says. “These beautifully preserved broad bean pods would then be braised in onions and tomatoes, sometimes with an addition of lamb neck chops, resulting in a luscious but comforting dish eaten with bread, yoghurt and a steaming pilav.”
Stanbuli is inspired by the meyhanes of Istanbul, says the chef. These eateries serve meze, a menu that predominantly features vegetables, offal and fish, and where meat is cast in the supporting role. “It’s food to be eaten with a glass of raki, beer or glass of wine, seasoned with good conversation and garnished with nostalgic music.”
This broad bean dish is a perfect example of the genre.
Produce: Broad beans are a classic late autumn-early winter harvest in eastern Australia; out of season, they can be bought frozen. The balance of ingredients required for this dish are all readily available year-round: diced onions, garlic, ripe fresh tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and water. The braise is finished with chopped dill and served at room temperature with yoghurt.
Method: “This is straightforward stuff,” Kasif says of this Stanbuli standard. Onion is cooked in good olive oil with a pinch of salt until the onions are softened. At that point add black pepper, then the broad beans. Once they are properly coated, garlic is added, as well as more salt, grated tomato and a pinch of sugar. Just enough water to cover the beans is then added as well as lemon juice and chopped parsley. The pot is brought back to the boil, then dropped to a simmer for 35 minutes, uncovered. Once the dill is added, it is time to serve with yoghurt at room temperature with good Turkish bread.
The twist: “Add more vegetables,” says Kasif. “I’d recommend adding carrots or artichokes. Toss them in with the beans. You can experiment with the tomato-water ratio by adding more tomato than water. Furthermore, you can add lamb necks to the dish — I’d recommend browning the lamb necks before adding, and definitely upping the tomato.” Substitute the broad beans with Roman flat beans or okra.
The price: $14