On his first trip to Calcutta and India, chef Murat Ilmaz (in picture left) from Izmir in Turkey looks quite at home in his new kitchen. He is putting together the food festival Turkish Temptation at Maaya in Swissotel. “We use white cheese and yogurt generously while cooking,” says Murat and to prove a point, he makes Yogurt Corbasi as the day’s soup. “Meze, or appetisers, are very important. When guests come home, we fill small bowls with appetisers. They choose what they want to eat and then we get them bigger bowls!” he adds.

On till September 26, the festival offers buffets — brunch for Rs 1,500 (plus taxes) and dinner for Rs 1,400 (plus taxes).

t2 decodes Murat’s Turkish delights for you.

Circassian Chicken:

The chicken is poached in vegetable stock and then mixed with cream, which gives it a smooth gravy texture. Olive oil and chilli oil are added later, which not only adds colour but also
packs a solid punch on the palate.

Balik Bugulama:

Fish or seafood stew with portions of onions, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. Perfect if you like your meal
non-spicy — and healthy.

Lahmacun: It simply means an Armenian or Turkish pizza. The thin-crust base is topped with lamb, beef, vegetables, salt and pepper, sauteed in olive and garlic oil. Should beat most pizzas you’ve had. Best washed down with Ayran, a Turkish drink of yogurt, water and salt to help digest all that meat.

Lahmacun: It simply means an Armenian or Turkish pizza. The thin-crust base is topped with lamb, beef, vegetables, salt and pepper, sauteed in olive and garlic oil. Should beat most pizzas you’ve had. Best washed down with Ayran, a Turkish drink of yogurt, water and salt to help digest all that meat.

Piliç Topkapi:

A breast of chicken with the skin on is stuffed with rice that is first boiled with allspice. The chicken pieces are then oven-cooked. Tomato sauce gives it a tang and a sprinkling of parsley that final garnish.

Baklava:

The perfect sweet ending. The base is made of pistachio and walnuts and a puff pastry is plonked atop. Trust us, you will be asking for more!

Text: Debarati Chakraborty