Main dish
Testi kebab
Origin: Nevşehir, Central Anatolia
Nevşehir dish of meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a sealed Avanos clay pot, which is cracked open at the table.
Testi kebab cooks in a clay pot. The geographical indication sets 200 g of beef or lamb leg per person. The meat goes in first, then çarliston peppers, shallots, garlic and tomato. Salt, black pepper, water and sunflower oil are added; nothing is cooked beforehand. The mouth of the pot is covered with foil and baked at 250 °C for 1 hour 45 minutes. It is then sealed with a flour-and-water dough and baked for another 30 to 45 minutes.
Nevşehir testi kebab was registered as a geographical indication in 2021. The pot must be made in Avanos and meet the rules of the registered Avanos pottery. At the table the pot is cracked open with a knife and the contents are tipped onto a plate. Saklı Konak in Uçhisar and Seten in Göreme serve it with rice.
Dietary notes: contains beef or lamb and vegetables. The registered recipe has no dairy.