A Flavor That Will Burst on Your Palate: Şiveydiz

A Flavor That Will Burst on Your Palate: Şiveydiz

Hello, before I begin I want you to know that even those who don't love fresh green garlic will adore this dish. Please give it a chance. It is such a rooted and balanced dish that people who moved to this city from elsewhere have put it at the top of their list — that has been consistent in my interviews.

We start in the winter months and cook it for about two months. The first spoonful will shock you and the flavor on your palate will leave you in awe. Serve it with a plain butter bulgur pilaf with vermicelli and the meal is complete. In Gaziantep we eat saucy dishes with rice on the side.

Ingredients

• 2 kg fresh green garlic (even thickness; index-finger thickness is ideal for this dish)
• 500 g green onions
• 3 bone-in shanks
• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• Salt
• Strained homemade yogurt — 1 egg
• For topping: clarified butter, black pepper, dried mint

Instructions

Place the meat in a pressure cooker or regular pot, add salt and cook. Strain and let the meat cool. Add 1 cup boiled chickpeas to the meat broth. Cut the garlic and onions to the length of your little finger and add to the boiling broth.

Do not add so much water that it covers the garlic — the vegetables release their own liquid and the dish becomes too watery. We do not use the green tops of the garlic and onions. The key tip: do not stir too much; the garlic and onions must cook without falling apart.

In a separate pot, take about 700 g strained homemade yogurt, break in 1 egg, turn on the heat and whisk quickly. Ten minutes is enough.

When the garlic has reached the texture you want when you bite — it must not be crunchy — turn off the heat, add the picked meat, then slowly add the yogurt and stir gently.

In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons clarified butter with black pepper and mint and pour over the dish. Enjoy!