A handful of Turkish food stalls are present at every German market. Indeed, Turkish flavours and in particular their spices have become embedded in the national cuisine ever since the first guest workers came over in the 1960s.
Sumac is something I couldn’t do without. I love its sharp citrus tang and musky edge of tobacco. Just like lemon or salt, it not only adds flavour but also sharpens the other ingredients it sits next to – here it brings out the sweet earthiness of the onions.
Sometimes I make this dish with caraway seeds instead of the coriander seeds and whisk half a teaspoon of sweet paprika into the yogurt and soured cream – either way is delicious.
I enjoy this stuffed inside a warm pitta just as it is, but it is also the perfect accompaniment to roast beef or lamb dishes.
SERVES 4 AS A FILLING (IN PITTAS)
OR SIDE DISH
4 medium onions (about 450g), sliced into 8 wedges
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, bashed (not crushed)
fine sea salt, to taste
150g thick yogurt
100g soured cream
1 teaspoon sumac
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/l80°C fan/gas 6.
Put the onions into a baking dish, drizzle with a tablespoon of oil and scatter over the coriander seeds. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.
Take the onions out of the oven, season with salt and toss. Mix the thick yogurt and soured cream together in a bowl, then spoon the yogurt mixture around the onions and return the dish to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the yogurt is warm through.
Drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with the sumac and serve.
From Anja Dunk’s Strudel, Noodles & Dumpings. Out now.
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