Biber salçası
Biber salçası: homemade sun-style red pepper paste, the backbone of southeastern Turkish cooking
Late every summer, rooftops in Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay turn red with trays of puréed peppers drying in the sun, and families fill jars that will season soups, köfte, bulgur and lahmacun through the winter. This oven method makes a smaller batch with the same deep, sweet and slightly smoky flavour; use some hot peppers if you like it acı (spicy). Store it under a film of oil in the fridge. The common mistake is a too-hot oven: the edges scorch and turn bitter before the middle thickens. Chef's tip: stir every 20 minutes and scrape the dried rim back in; the paste is ready when a spoon drawn through it leaves a clean trench.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Stem and deseed 4 ⅜ lb red romano or bell peppers (and 3 ½ oz hot red chillies, wearing gloves), then chop roughly.
15 minStep 2: Blend to a smooth purée. Tip into a large saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring, until it has reduced by about a third.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 250°F (200°F fan). Stir 2 tsp salt into the purée and spread it about 2 cm deep in a large roasting tin.
Step 4: Bake for 2½–3 hours, stirring and scraping the edges back in every 20 minutes, until it is a thick, dark-red paste that holds a trench when you draw a spoon through. Common mistake: turning the oven up to hurry it; the edges catch and the paste turns bitter.
180 minStep 5: Cool, pack into a clean jar and cover with a thin layer of 3 tbsp olive oil. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 months, topping up the oil after each use.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does biber salçası take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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