Turlu Turlu – Epic Turkish Roast Veges

Turlu turlu is a traditional Turkish dish, similar to ratatouille but spiked with warming cinnamon & smoked paprika. I know that roasting vegetables in the heat of summer can seem crazy, but believe me, this luscious medley is worth it. Fresh summer produce is coated with olive oil, dusted with spices & roasted until soft, meeting a tantalising mixture of salty olives, tomatoes & beans at the end of cooking. The result is a satisfyingly savoury symphony of flavour & texture.

Serving wise, it’s a lovely meal on its own, or make it go further by whipping up a crisp salad & piling it on top of grains like rice, quinoa or millet. Lashings of coconut yoghurt or tart Greek yoghurt is great too.

I’ve also successfully used marrow in this recipe, instead of zucchini (in fact, there’s homegrown yellow marrow in this photo) Perfect for using up those voracious vegetables that get away on you in the garden!

1 medium deep purple aubergine/eggplant

1 large onion

4 peeled cloves of garlic

2 capsicum/bell peppers

2 medium carrots

4 medium potatoes

2 zucchini

2- 4 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ cup good black olives, pitted

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas or other beans

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 cup roughly chopped herbs (a combination of coriander, basil and/or parsley works well)

salt and freshly ground black pepper                        ….method below….

Preheat the oven to 220 C and find a large roasting dish.

Prepare the vegetables as follows:

Aubergine: quarter lengthwise then cut each quarter into 3 or 4 pieces

Onion & garlic: cut into thick slices

Capsicum: slice each into 6-8 pieces, discarding seeds

Carrot: cut into thickish rounds, say 1cm

Potato: cut into 3cm chunks, skins on

Zucchini: cut into 2cm rounds

Place all veges – except the zucchini – into the roasting dish and toss with enough olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle the ground coriander, cinnamon & smoked paprika over the top and season with a few grinds of black pepper & a sprinkle of salt.

Cook for about 45 minutes. Turn them 2 or 3 times, to prevent sticking.

After 45 minutes, add the zucchini & return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

After the hour, and once the zucchini has softened nicely, stir through the olives, the tin of tomatoes and the drained beans/chickpeas. Pop the tray back in the oven for a couple of minutes so the new ingredients heat through.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle generously with herbs of your choice.