Tarhana is a traditional Turkish dish made from a dough or powder of vegetables, spices, yeast, and yogurt. It can be used to make a soup by adding boiling water. The mixture is fermented, dried, and can be stored for months.
Tarhana is a traditional dish in Turkish cuisine which refers to a dough or powder made using various vegetables, spices, yeast and yoghurt. The name can refer to the powder or dough itself, as well as a soup made using the dough or powder and adding boiling water. Created as a way to preserve food before the invention of refrigerators and other safe food storage methods, this is actually one of the oldest instant soups. Tarhana mixes can be bought in grocery stores, especially those that focus on Turkish food products, or homemade.
When the term ‘tarhana’ is used, it can refer to the powder or paste created with different vegetables or a soup made from this prepared powder or paste. Creating this blend is fairly simple, although it does take a little time due to it being allowed to ferment. This process usually begins with selecting the vegetables and spices that will be used in making the dough or powder. While it is possible to create a powder, many modern recipes call for the creation of a dough that can be frozen or stored according to the manufacturer’s preferences.
Tarhana dough usually starts with peppers, tomatoes and onion, all of which are minced using a food processor. Yeast is often used to aid in the fermentation of tarhana and this is typically flowered in warm water, often with some sugar to help feed the yeast. Flowering yeast is added to the vegetable mixture along with various spices. Common herbs and spices used in Tarhana include thyme, mint, oregano, dill and paprika.
The live cultures yoghurt is then added to the tarhana mixture. Live cultures and yeast are used to create fermentation and prevent bacteria from thriving in the dough. Some recipes call for the use of kefir or “sour milk” instead, although this is not always easy to find and yeast and yogurt work just as well. The flour is then slowly added to the dough as it is mixed and kneaded until the dough is firm, at which point it is placed in a bowl and covered.
The dough is then left to ferment in the bowl for several days, kneaded once a day, and can be dried afterwards in the sun for several days or stored in a freezer. The tarhana dough will keep for months, especially in the fridge or freezer, and if dried can be stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight jar. To prepare a soup, a small amount of pasta is placed in a pan, to which boiling water is added and stirred to reconstitute, then the chicken broth is added and allowed to simmer until the correct thick consistency.
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