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This türlü (roasted vegetable stew) recipe comes from Meliz's book Meliz’s Kitchen: Simple Turkish-Cypriot Comfort Food and Fresh Family Feasts (£25, Ebury Press).

Meliz says: "Türlü translates as ‘all kinds of ’ and refers to the assortment of vegetables that are thrown together in this dish. The vegetables are roasted, like an oven-baked ratatouille, with a colourful combination of herbs and sweet, warm spices. It’s Turkish in origin and is one of those dishes that can be eaten hot, warm or cold (it’s known as a zeytinyağlı – ‘with olive oil’ – dish in Turkey)."

This is a recipe that Meliz shared as part of her guide to Cypriot cuisine. Check it out to learn about the many complex flavours of this eastern Mediterranean island, including grilled kofte and halloumi and black olive cake. Also check out more of our favourite Mediterranean-inspired recipes here.

Ingredients

  • 1 large aubergine
  • 2 courgettes
  • 2 large onions
  • 2 large red peppers or Romano peppers
  • 4 large green peppers
  • 4 large ripe plum tomatoes
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
  • 50ml olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¾ tsp sea salt flakes
  • ¾ tsp freshly ground black peppercorns
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp Turkish sweet red pepper paste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut the aubergine and courgettes into 3-4cm chunks, then lay out flat on baking sheets or large plates. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp of fine sea salt then leave for 15 minutes to release their juices. Pat dry with some kitchen paper and put in a large, deep roasting tray.

  • STEP 2

    Cut the onions, peppers and tomatoes into chunks, ensuring they are similar in size to the other vegetables. Add to the roasting tray along with the garlic. In a bowl, mix together the olive oil, cloves, coriander, paprika, oregano and half of the sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper, then stir the mixture into all of the vegetables, using clean hands to toss everything together. Ensure that all of the vegetables are coated and spread them out evenly.

  • STEP 3

    Bake for 30 minutes (stirring gently halfway through) while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Dissolve the stock cube, tomato purée and pepper paste in 600ml of just-boiled water in a heatproof jug.

  • STEP 4

    After 30 minutes, remove the roasting tray from the oven, gently stir the vegetables, then drizzle over the lemon juice and sprinkle over the flour, remaining sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper. Nestle the cinnamon stick and bay leaf into the mixture and carefully pour over the stock. Increase the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and return the roasting tray to the oven for a further 45 minutes, gently stirring halfway through. Remove the tray from the oven and let the vegetables cool until warm. Drizzle over the extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

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