If your from the Balkans then you either heard of or grew up with tarhana. Some make tarhana on their own, I just buy mine. It comes in a package either made in Turkey or Greece, you can find it at your local Mediterranean or Middle Eastern store. Some come with flavour and herbs others are plain. I prefer the plain, and I add mint.
It looks like course bread crumbs and that is basically what it is, dried up bread made with yogurt, it has a tangy taste to it, so if you like tangy, you will like this!
What you will need:
- 10 kitchen tablespoons of tarhana
- 4 and 1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp pepper paste
- 4-6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mint
- salt to season
Add olive oil in a pot and add in the tomato paste and pepper paste with the mint. Fry the pastes in the oil until it becomes fragrant and breaks apart. Add in some salt, add in the tarhana and whisk in the water slowly, keep whisking so it doesn’t clump up. Taste and adjust with salt.
Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until trahana thickens up. You may blend it with a hand blender for a smoother consistency if desired.
If it is too thick, you can slowly add some hot water to thin it out.