Kıymalı Karnabahar
Kıymalı Karnabahar·(kuhy-mah-luh kar-nah-bah-har)
Sulu Yemek & Tencere (The Weeknight Pot on the Stove)
If you grew up in a Turkish household, the smell of this simmering on a cold Tuesday night is permanently etched into your memory. This is the food of the domestic backbone, a strictly practical, deeply comforting one-pot meal that treats meat as a seasoning rather than the star. The secret isn't some rare Anatolian spice; it's the technique of kavurmak—frying your tomato and pepper pastes in hot oil until they bloom, staining the broth a rich, oily red. Serve it exactly the way it was meant to be: scooped up with crusty bread and cut with a massive spoonful of garlic yogurt.
Ingredients
- light olive oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- ground beef6 oz
- garlic2 large cloves
- Cubanelle or Anaheim pepper1 med
- carrot1 med
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- Turkish pepper paste1 tbsp
- salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- Aleppo pepper1 tsp
- ground cumin1/2 tsp
- cauliflower1 1/2 lb
- hot water2 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Brown the meat and onions to build the umami foundation.
Place a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onion, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up continuously with a wooden spoon, until the meat is completely browned into tiny crumbles and any liquid it released has evaporated.
- 02
Soften the aromatic vegetables.
Stir in the diced pepper, minced garlic, and carrot rounds. Sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes until the pepper softens slightly.
- 03
Bloom the pastes in the hot oil.
Push the meat and vegetables to the edges to create a small clearing in the center of the pot. Drop in the tomato and pepper pastes, letting them fry directly in the hot oil for 30 seconds before stirring them into the meat mixture. Cook and stir constantly for 2 full minutes until the paste loses its raw smell and the oil turns a vibrant, stained-glass red.
- 04
Coat the cauliflower and spice the stew.
Add the cauliflower florets, tossing them gently with a wooden spoon until completely coated in the red, meaty oil. Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and cumin evenly over the top.
- 05
Simmer gently with restrained water.
Pour the hot water into the pot. The water should only come about halfway up the vegetables; do not submerge them. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- 06
Steam until tender but not mushy.
Let the stew simmer undisturbed for 20 to 25 minutes. Check with a fork—it should pierce the thickest part of a floret with zero resistance, but the cauliflower should still hold its shape. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve with garlic yogurt.
Whisk a cup of plain, full-fat yogurt with a grated garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Top each bowl of stew with a generous dollop to perfectly balance the rich, oily broth.
Bread is mandatory.
You need a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the savory red juices at the bottom of the bowl.
Pepper paste substitute.
If you absolutely cannot find Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası), substitute an additional tablespoon of tomato paste mixed with a half teaspoon of sweet paprika.
From Cook Turkish in America.