Going out on a limb, here, but we’re gonna call it. Of all the Turkish yoghurt dishes out there, this Turkish atom meze recipe is our favourite.
There! We’ve said it!
Havuç tarator – garlic yoghurt and carrot dip – is definitely up there.
But atom just pips it, for us.
The soothing, cooling creaminess of the yoghurt against the fiery hot peppers.
It’s those fiery hot dried red peppers that are your atom explosion – the atom bomb.
An explosion of heat before the magic of the yoghurt takes over to cool and soothe the taste buds. Allowing you to delve straight back in for more.
From Nowhere To Everywhere
I don’t know why, but when we first came to live in Fethiye, we never saw atom anywhere in the meze display fridges of local restaurants.
It seemed to appear from nowhere. But now, it’s everywhere!
From kebab restaurants to steak houses to seafood restaurants – you’re hard-pushed to find a meze fridge that doesn’t feature atom.
And we always order it when we see it.
A few meze plates with some freshly made lavash bread – Turkish balloon bread – and all is well with the world.
The photo above is from Çarıklı Et Restaurant in Fethiye.
Pickled beetroot is another must for us. Then we have the essential atom meze.
And, if you know us, you’ll know we also love a yeşil tabağı (green plate). The one above is fresh vegetables and other greens; broccoli, avocado, samphire, parsley and mung beans.
We’ve replicated this dish in our mung bean salad recipe.
And then there’s girit ezmesi – a lovely spicy, cheesy Cretan meze.
The Joy Of Turkish Atom Meze
But what is it that makes atom so special – one of the most popular meze varieties of Turkish cuisine?
The quality of ingredients and the absolute simplicity certainly play their part.
- A top quality süzme yoghurt – strained yoghurt – is a must. The thicker and creamier, the better.
- The whole dried chilli peppers – arnavut biberi – for both the heat and the texture.
- And then that drizzle of of the paprika-infused olive oil and butter mixture.
Scooping that up with your fresh bread – it’s divine!
And these days, restaurants are going to great lengths to create elaborate presentations with their atom meze.
Presentation worthy of it’s fabulous flavour and texture.
Hot dried cayenne peppers in the centre.
Dried crisp sivri biber (long thin peppers) as your edible dipping utensils around in the corners.
Those aren’t hot but just add more crisp textures.
How To Make Turkish Atom Meze
Well, we’ve said it’s our favourite yoghurt based meze recipe…
This cold starter or side dish is also very quick and easy to make. So it’s a winner all round.
We simply mix a small pinch of salt into thick natural yoghurt and put it on a plate.
Then we use the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the yoghurt and make a shallow well for our chillies.
Next, we add our dried red chillies to a small pan and lightly toast on a medium heat before adding our butter and olive oil mix along with a pinch of paprika.
A few seconds later, we pour the bobbling hot oil mixture over our yoghurt, drizzling some around the edges.
And that’s it!
Perfectly simple. Perfectly delicious.
Some people like to add lemon juice and crushed garlic to their yoghurt.
Whilst we do this in many of our Turkish yoghurt dishes, for atom meze, we keep it very simple; replicating the examples we’ve had in restaurants.
Turkish Atom Meze Recipe
Prepare those taste buds. Let’s make atom!
Atom Meze Recipe – Turkish Yoghurt Dip With Chilli
This spicy Turkish yoghurt dip – Atom – in one of the most popular meze plates in Turkish cuisine and is a definite favourite for us. Let the heat of the fiery dried chilli peppers (cayenne peppers) be soothed by the cooling velvety yoghurt on your tastebuds so that you can keep delving in for more.
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1 small frying pan
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1 sharp knife
- 3 tablespoons strained natural yoghurt
- 3 whole dried red chilli peppers (cayenne peppers or arnavut biberi)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- salt (a small pinch to season)
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Mix your pinch of salt into your yoghurt.
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Place onto a small plate and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of your yoghurt and make a shallow well for your chillies.
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Now chop your dried chillies into 3 or 4 pieces and place into your small frying pan.
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Toast over a medium heat for a few seconds until you start to see them smoking and then add your butter and oil.
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Now add your paprika and stir around until the hot oil and butter mixture starts to bubble and the paprika colours infuse.
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Spoon the chillies into the centre of your yoghurt well and then drizzle the paprika-coloured butter and oil mixture over and around the yoghurt.
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Serve with fresh bread alongside other meze dishes or as a side to kebabs.
- This atom meze recipe is very simple and relies on quality ingredients. Use the best quality strained natural yoghurt you can find. The thicker and creamier, the better.
- In Turkey, whole dried red chillies are sold on strings in spice markets and are called arnavut biberi. If you haven’t got a Middle Eastern or Turkish supermarket near you, look for whole dried cayenne peppers.
- Some atom recipes request that you soak the dried chilli peppers first. One of the things we love about atom meze is the crispness of the dried chillies that we’ve had in restaurants. It’s a great contrast of texture as well as flavour. So, no soaking for us.
- Nutritional information is meant as a rough guide only. If you have an special dietary requirements, please do your own due diligence.
Serving: 1Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 17mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 186IUCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
Afiyet Olsun!
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