If you associate the word kebap (or kebab) with what Turks call döner kebabı, and is a common type of fast food in many countries, then this might be interesting for you to try. On one hand, it is one of the very broad category of Turkish food called kebaps, on the other hand, this is not too well known even among those who know that there is also Adana kebap, Urfa kebap, şiş kebap, taş kebabı, orman kebabı, to name just a few varieties.

If you are already familiar with Turkish cuisine, this might also be interesting for you. Namely, while pomegranate molasses/syrup (nar ekşisi) is more commonly used in salads, this is a warm dish with it.

Soğan kebabı, i.e. onion kebap, has its origin in one of the best known foodie Turkish cities, Gaziantep or Antep. It is particularly loved in winter, as it contains vitamins both from onions (or more commonly shallots) and pomegranate molasses. The recipe is simple, contains only very few ingredients and you don’t have to be a masterchef to prepare it, so here it is – give it a try. You can either serve it alongside a plain rice pilav, or wrapped in lavaş (Turkish tortilla).

Suitable for: This is halal and kosher, but neither vegan nor vegetarian. It does not contain glutene, shellfish, milk, eggs nor nuts.

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🍂☃️

⌚ Ca. 30 min preparation and 1 hour baking time

Ingredients (for 2 servings) 🛒

Ca. 400 g ground beef (or lamb, or beef-lamb mix), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp medium hot red pepper flakes, 500 g shallots (or small onions), 50 ml pomegranate molasses/syrup, 150 ml water, 1 tbsp olive oil , (optionally) 1 tsp Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası)

How to 🍳

1. Knead meat with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Leave to rest.

2. Meanwhile, cut the top and bottom tip of each shallot, peel them. Cut each in half, but not fully through, so they each stay in one piece.

3. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Take a fireproof baking tray, just big enough to be able to densely arrange all the shallots in it. Take a bit, about walnut size, from meat, stuff it in the middle gap of a shallot, place it into the tray. Continue with the remaining shallots. Don’t worry if some shallots break in two, just take care to arrange them tightly when putting into the tray.

4. Mix water with pomegranate molasses, oil, and (if using) pepper paste. Stir well, pour over the shallots.

5. Bake ca. 60 minutes, last 10 minutes increase the heat to 200 C.