My Favorite Spice Store in Istanbul

In 10 days, I’ll be back in Istanbul for a short weekend get-away.

I’ve already started making my list of Turkish goodies to bring back to Poland such as: cinnamon, pul biber, pistachios, walnuts, beyaz peynir, kaymak, 1 kilo of cocoa powder, Turkish olive oil soaps and more!

That means I’ll be paying a visit to my favorite spice girl, Bilge Kadioglu, owner of Ucuzcular Baharat, No. 51 at the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar) in Eminönü. The store has been open since 1980, but the roots of this five-generation business date back to 1886. The name “Ucuzcular” comes from the Turkish word for cheap or thrifty and harks back to the wholesale prices Bilge’s grandfather offered his costumers back then.

I love visiting Ucuzcular and being surrounded by the familiar and exotic flavors of Turkey! The herbal tea blends, dried fruits and nuts and aromatic spices are enough to make my head spin as soon as I walk inside.

Bilge is no ordinary spice seller at the bazaar. She is a female running her successful family business in a very male-dominated world. She is educated, enthusiastic and full of spunk. I miss my nearly weekly visits to the market!

Bilge and me in 2012. I think we should get a better photo this year!

During the three years I lived in Istanbul, I got to know Bilge and many of her staff members as well as her brother, Ahmet. Everyone always greeted me with a smile. They offered me new spice blends to sample as well as a glass of Turkish çay. I would chat a bit with everyone as I made my purchases, wait kindly in the background if the store got too busy and steal the occasional Turkish Delight whenever I could!

As someone who cooks or bakes nearly every day, I often needed to refill my spice supply. I preferred to buy in smaller amounts because I knew I would be back soon. I have always appreciated the quality of Bilge’s spices and teas as well as her honesty. When I had a bad cold, she would whip me up a special tea blend to soothe my sore throat.

To me visiting Bilge wasn’t just about refilling my spice jars.

We developed a friendship as we chatted over the spices and our daily musings. And that is something I miss most of all!

Sonra görüşürüz!

NOTE: If you enter the Spice Bazaar from the front entrance, walk through until the pathway Ts. Then, turn left. Look for the blue sign of Ucuzcular on your lefthand side about halfway down.

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My 3 Favorite Baking Supply Stores in Eminönü in Istanbul

I have often said, if you cannot find it in Eminönü, then you don't need it.

This bustling neighborhood in Istanbul, near the Galata Bridge, is one of my favorite places to wander. I've spent countless hours strolling through the backstreets looking for fabric, rugs, sunglasses, toys, beads, various spices, kitchen supplies and things I didn't even know I needed.

Eminönü also is where I buy the majority of my baking supplies and ingredients. From time to time, blog readers have asked me where I find certain ingredients, cookie cutters and baking pans. Well, now I'm putting all this information into one nice blog post for you.

As you approach the Mısır Çarşısı (Spice Bazaar) in Istanbul, stay to the right outside the building and walk down the small street of Tahmis Sokak. You will pass about 15 or so vendors selling dried fruits, nuts, cheese, fish and fresh produce.

On Tahmis Sokak in Eminönü, you will find cheese shops like this one.
The guys will happily give you samples to try.

Toward the end of the street, you will see the famous Turkish coffee shop, Kurukahveci MehmetEfendi, on your right-hand side on the corner. Turn right down this street, Hasırcılar Caddesi. This is my stomping grounds in Istanbul and where you will find everything you ever wanted (almost) for baking.

I have never not seen a line outside of this Turkish coffee shop in Eminönü.

So here are my 3 Favorite Baking Supply Stores in Eminönü in Istanbul:

1. Sancar - First, you will pass by Sancar. In front of the store are bins filled with nuts, boxes of plastic wrap, plastic gloves, paper plates and cups. Look for the helpful guys wearing red shirts. I think I'm considered a regular customer by now.

I doubt any other yabancı buy as many kilos as I do of chocolate chips (10 tl), chopped walnuts (24 tl), hazelnuts (22 tl), powdered sugar (4 tl) and 2.5 kilo bricks of dark chocolate. Sancar also has a great selection of plastic take-away containers that I buy in bulk to transport my pastries.

A 1-kilo bag of Elit bitter chocolate chips costs 10 tl.

2. Besan - About 10 stores down from Sancar, you will notice this pastry shop by its hundreds of colorful baking cups stacked outside in a bin.

Colorful baking cups at Besan. 

Inside Besan, you will find one of the best selection of cookie cutters (2-10 tl each). But beware, cookie cutters are much more expensive here than the U.S. Actually, all of the imported pastry items such as pastry bags, piping tips and fancy baking pans are more expensive in Turkey.

However, I have bought a fair number of cookie cutters, mini metal tart pans and my foil cardboard cake circles here (.50 tl each). Besan also has a colorful selection of fondant, which I've used with great success.

I've bought many cookie cutters here at Besan. 

3. Nüans - Continue a few more meters down Hasırcılar Caddesi and you will see a duplex-like pastry shop on the left-hand side of the street.

Nüans always has bins outside filled with baskets, bowls and
other kitchen supplies. 

Nüans is the largest pastry supply store in Eminönü (that I know of), but it also tends to be slightly higher priced than the other ones I frequent. Still, I pop in every now and then to compare goods and prices. The store does have a large selection of baking pans, silpats, pastry tips, cookie cutters, kitchen knives, cupcake decorating sprinkles, birthday candles, fondant and sugar paste supplies.

So there you have it! Now, you know where a busy baker like me likes to shop in Istanbul.

Happy baking everyone!

Locations:

Sancar Merkez

Address: Hasırcılar Caddesi No. 24, Eminönü-Fatih

Tel: 0212-528-6836

info@sancargida.com

http://www.sancargida.com/

Besan LTD.

Address: Hasırcılar Caddesi No. 38, Eminönü-Fatih

Tel: 0212-514-1516

info@besan.com.tr

Nüans

Address: Hasırcılar Caddesi No. 65-67, Eminönü-Fatih

Tel: 0212-513-4242

www.nuanspasta.com

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Knitting, Randomness in Istanbul

It’s easy for me to spend five or more hours in the kitchen to make the perfect, layered and decorated cake.

But when it comes to knitting, I do not have the patience.

Several years ago, I tried learning this beautiful handicraft, but I lost count as I knitted my rows for a simple scarf. Was that 27 or 29? Or 30?

I eventually gave up!

Today, I met an expat friend in Eminönü and we went shopping for spices, fabric, sewing thread and yarn. Behind the Mısır Çarşısı, there are several streets where the stores sell every kind of sewing item you ever would need – buttons, beads, trimming, tassels, lace, ribbons, thread and more.

We stopped along Aşir Efendi Caddesi and found reasonably priced fabrics at several shops. (Speaking some Turkish will help you receive better service, I believe.) I bought some crimson cotton/polyester blend fabric that I hope to turn into some aprons for Christmas.

Then, we went in the search of velcro, which apparently is only sold in a box of 25 meters! No thanks!

My friend and her children are knitters, so we went in search of the yarn han called Kürkcü Han (Furrier Han) on Mahmutpaşa street. (See my helpful map here.) If you exit out the back of the Mısır Carşısı, hike up the cobble stone street of Mahmutpaşa and this han, a large stone building, will be located on the right. If you walk past the han, you soon will end up at one of the entrances of the Grand Bazaar.

The han’s building is as old as the Kapalı Carşı (Grand Bazaar) and was once built for the accommodation of furriers; but now it’s a shopping center or a knitter’s paradise. This two-story complex houses 80 stores and a few small cafés. These stores sell yarn, yarn and more yarn as well as a few random home textiles such as bathroom rugs, towels, bed sheets and curtains.

Lots of yarn!

I have to think this han is the best shopping destination for yarn of various kinds and colors in Istanbul. The stands are full of balls and skeins of beautiful wool yarn in various natural colors, grays, browns and some colors. If you knit, you must go here!

And even more yarn!

And cheap! 300 grams of thick wool yarn, which looked like a lot to me, for 5 TL. Some balls of yarn were only 1 and 2 TL! Crochet thread for only 75 kuruş!

I wasn’t looking for yarn, but I did find some holiday cookie cutters at one of the shops as well as some cheap wool socks.

That’s the randomness of Istanbul! You never know what you will find, and I love that about the city!

Happy shopping!

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WHB: Patlıcan Flavors From India

I love learning new recipes, especially when learned from a friend.

Earlier this summer, a fellow Istanbul expat, Anjali, originally from India, taught several of us gals how to make some flavorful dishes from her native country. My mother-in-law even came with me since she was visiting us.

A few weeks ago, I made my first curry from scratch per the recipe I had learned. BTW, this does not entail dumping a can of coconut milk into a pot and either adding curry powder or curry paste to make a curried dish! No, you slowly caramelize a bunch of onions, add whole spices and five powdered spices as well as tomatoes, hot chillies and water to make your curry base. The blend of flavours is outstanding!

Another Indian dish I learned and recently recreated at home was Bharwan Baingan, which is eggplant cooked with a blend of dry spices. The eggplant is roasted after a spicy paste is slathered all over inside and outside of it. The resulting dish kind of pops in your mouth when you bite into a piece of eggplant with whole coriander seeds. From what I understand, this particular dish originates from Northern India, which also is known worldwide for its Tandoori cooking.

I’m always looking for new ways to cook patlıcan in Istanbul, and this dish certainly provides a different flavor profile I’m sure you will enjoy too! Serve the eggplant with a side of cooling raita.

Currently, the pazar stalls are full of lovely mor patlıcan, and the spices can be found at the Mısır Çarşısı in Eminönü.

Sometimes I find eggplant like these variegated ones at the pazar.

Now I only have to learn 97 more ways to cook eggplant!

Afiyet Olsun!

(Note: I am submitting this recipe for the first time for the #301 edition of  Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by blogger Graziana of Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs). This weekly event is coordinated by food blogger Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and was founded by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Thank you for stopping by!)

Bharwan Baingan (Eggplant stuffed with dry spices)

Ingredients:

1 kilo fresh eggplant (Select ones that are skinny, about 5-8” in length)
Juice of 2 limes
4 T. vegetable oil (I even thinned my paste out with a bit more oil and lime juice.)
2 T. ground cumin
2 T. corriander seeds
2 T. red chili powder (I used a blend of pul biber and chili powder.)
2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 F/150 C.
2. Wash the eggplant, leaving the top stalks. Slit each one down the middle, lengthwise, first in half and then into quarters, making sure to stop about 1-inch before the end of the eggplant. Basically, you will cut four slits into each eggplant.
3. In a small bowl, combine the spices with the lime juice and oil. Stir together to make a paste.

You can roughly peel the eggplant too, so it looks like "pyjamas stripes."

4. Using your hands, spread the paste on the inside and a bit on the outside of each eggplant. (I tried using a pastry brush at first to spread the paste, but found my hands to be much more effective to get inside of the eggplants.

Spread the eggplant apart with your fingers and liberally apply the spice paste inside.

5. Place the eggplant into a large glass or ceramic baking dish, covered with aluminum foil. Bake the eggplant for about 45-55 minutes until tender.

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Foodie Treasure Hunt in Istanbul

When I finally found dried black beans here in Istanbul, I was ecstatic.

Black beans are not a traditional Turkish item, so stores just don’t seem to carry them. But when you do find “foreign” food items and spices, it’s like discovering a pile of culinary gold in Istanbul. It's only taken me 10 months to stumble upon these beans.

I immediately had visions of black beans cooked with Latin American spices and flavors.

Next stop, I paid a visit to my favorite butcher shop, Atlas Kasabı, to order 1 kilo of kontrfile yağsız kıyma (lean ground beef).

At home, I selected several spices I thought would go well together with the black beans and beef. 

Front row, left to right: cumin and Janissary spice.
Back row, left to right: ground ancho chili powder, ground guajillo powder and  Black & Red spice.

I’d recently bought a bunch of spices from my friends at the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar or Spice Bazaar). Here are some photos I took at the bazaar:

Spices galore!

Sumac is often mixed in with kofte or used to garnish salads and soups.

High quality spices and dried teas can be found at this family-owned spice shop
in the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul.

Once the main ingredients were blended with a few vegetables, the end result was a spicy, low-fat bowl of chili-like goodness. My husband couldn't believe this tasty dish could be low-fat and full of such flavor!

Garnish each bowl with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and crushed red pepper.

If you can’t locate some of these spices in the recipe below, I would recommend using a combination of your favorite ground chili pepper spices and cumin.

Afiyet olsun!

Where to shop:

• Macro Center: Abdi Ipekci Cad. No: 24/26, Nişantaşı, Istanbul (Look for Sezon Siyah Fasulye in a black box next to the other dried beans and bulgur.)
• Great spices and dried teas - Ucuzcular Baharat, Mısır Çarşısı, No. 51, Eminönü, Istanbul

Joy’s Spicy Black Bean and Ground Beef One-Pot Recipe
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
200 g. siyah fasulye (dried black beans)

500 g. kontrfile yağsız kıyma (lean ground beef)
2 ea. medium onions, diced small
1 whole head, fresh garlic, diced small
150 g. (about 3) red peppers, thinly sliced
150 g. (about 3) green peppers, thinly sliced
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. Janissary spice (a well-seasoned blend with hints of cumin and pul biber)
1 tsp. ground ancho chili powder
1 tsp. ground guajillo chili powder
1 tsp. Penzeys Black and Red Spice
2 T. tomato paste
1 qt. hot water
TT salt

1. Soak the beans overnight in water. Or in a medium-sized bowl, cover the dried beans with hot water. Let sit out at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using. Strain.
2. In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Then, add the onions, garlic and peppers. Cook for several minutes until the vegetables soften.
3. Then, add the spices, black beans, tomato paste and cover with hot water. Add more water as needed during the cooking process. Cover the pot with a lid and let cook for at least 30 minutes. Test the beans to see whether they are well cooked; continue cooking if necessary. Season with salt.
4. Serve the chili in individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

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Craving Curry in Istanbul

Yesterday, I found myself perusing my pantry for inspiration.

I hadn’t cooked in more than a week (except for pancakes and speck over the weekend). I finally had the time and was ready to spend it in my kitchen.

I spotted a can of coconut milk. The label is in Turkish and English but says it’s a product of Thailand. Interesting! I immediately thought of making a recipe of coconut chicken curry.

I knew I also had a new package of brightly-colored orange curry powder I had bought at the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar) here in Istanbul. I can easily spend a few hours at the bazaar entranced by all the fragrant mounds of spices. Curry blends vary from brand to brand but usually include coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, red pepper and other spices.

Turkish curry powder pictured in a small bowl I bought at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Often, when I’ve made this dish in the past, I simply stir-fry a ton of veggies with chicken and then add curry powder or paste, coconut milk and maybe some canned tomatoes. An easy one-pot meal!

But this time, I researched a little bit online for some more inspiration. I stumbled upon a food blog called The Spice Spoon. Although fellow food blogger Shayma didn’t have exactly what I was looking for, I bookmarked the site for future reference. Her website includes a great list of spicy recipes with Middle Eastern flair.

Later, I bought a ton of veggies at the pazar and started chopping and slicing away. Perhaps I went a bit overboard, but now we have plenty of leftovers for at least two more meals.

The dish was bursting with flavor and color. It was exactly what I was looking for after my hiatus from the kitchen.

Afiyet Olsun!

Joy’s Coconut Chicken Curry

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients:

2          T.         vegetable oil

3          T.         favorite curry powder

1          lg.        yellow onion, medium diced

1          kilo      (approx. 2 lbs.) boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½”-cubes

6-8       cloves  garlic, chopped small

1          400 g.  can of coconut milk

1          400 g.  can of diced tomatoes

½         can       water

8          T.         (or more) tomato paste

2-3       T.         granulated sugar

TT                    salt and pepper

1. In a 6-8 quart pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder and cook for at least 5 minutes. (I read online this is supposed to infuse the oil with a more intense flavor.)

2. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

3. Add the chicken and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.

4. Then, stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, water, tomato paste and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low-medium. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. If you’d like a thicker sauce, add a bit more tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes.

* Note: Towards the end of the cooking time, I added a generous pinch of Turkish pul biber (hot red pepper flakes). Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or favorite ground hot pepper to kick up the heat.

In a second pot:

Heat the oil, add the vegetables below. Sauté’ just until the vegetables are al dente. Set aside.

1          T.         vegetable oil

2          ea.        kabak or zucchini, sliced about ¼”-thick

2          ea.        red peppers, julienne sliced

2          ea.        carrots, julienne sliced

2          c.         (approx.) broccoli florets

TT                    salt and pepper

When the chicken is nearly finished cooking, add the vegetables and cook just to reheat them. I cooked these separately this time to retain a “crispier” vegetable.

Serve the curried chicken and vegetables over your favorite rice pilaf or basmati rice. Garnish with chopped chives or cilantro leaves.

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