Over the course of the next few months we are going to be sharing more about how and who makes our ethical yoga clothes.
We produce our organic yoga clothes in sunny southern Turkey. Where a 50-strong team enjoy a lovely, family-run factory complete with a with roof terrace where they grow their own herbs for cooking their lunches in their canteen.
When Alice visited the team at the end of last year she wanted to find out more about their fabulous cooking and thought you might like to try it to, which is why we are bringing you our favourite dishes from our lovely team in Turkey to enjoy at home or with friends.
First up meet Silvia. Silvia is the accessories buyer at the factory and is responsible for any zips, buttons, thread and labels for our clothes. Her favourite dish to cook is a traditional Turkish, Dried Eggplant Dolma and here she shares her family recipe for you to try at home.
Dried eggplant dolma is a traditional way to make dolma in Turkey. Small long eggplants are cut in half, hollowed out, then lined up on a string and dried out in the sun in the summer months ready to be used to make dolma in the winter. Just like dried tomatoes, dried eggplants are very healthy, traditional foods of a Turkish kitchen.
Ingredients;
- 25 dried aubergines (if you can’t find dried aubergines you can use 4 large fresh aubergines)
- 100ml olive oil
- 50g pine nuts
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 200g /1 cup short grain rice
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 350 ml warm water for dried aubergines (450 ml water for fresh)
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions:
Dried Eggplant Variation
- Soak dried eggplants in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain, then remove stems. Set aside.
- While eggplants are soaking, heat 100 ml olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the pinenuts and heat for 1 minute or until they become golden.
- Add in onion and garlic and cook until softened then add in the tomato paste.
- Add the rice and cook for a further 3 minutes or until transparent. Finally add in the sugar, cumin, salt, black pepper to the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the warm water and the lemon juice, bring it to the boil and then slowly reduce the heat. Close the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Remove the eggplants from their water and fill them with the rice mixture.
- Place the filled eggplants in a single layer in a frying pan. Add the remaining 100ml olive oil and 250ml water, and place over a medium heat. Bring it to the boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until eggplants are soft.
- Carefully remove from the pan and enjoy!
Fresh Eggplant Variation
- Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and rub them with the olive oil and salt.
- Put them in a preheated oven at 180c for 30 mins, while they cook prepare your rice.
- Pour 100 ml olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook for 1 minute until they are golden. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until softened then add the tomato paste. Add the rice and cook for 3 minutes or until transparent. Add sugar, cumin, salt, black pepper to the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Finally add in the warm water and lemon juice and bring it to boiling point before reducing the heat. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once soft remove the aubergines from the oven and scrape a little of the cooked flesh out. Combine the scooped out aubergine flesh with the rice mixture and add your parsley.
- Now fill your aubergines and scatter with a little parsley to serve.
This dish is perfect shared with friends or as a side dish at a dinner party. We hope you enjoy making it!
You can find out more about how we make our ethical yoga clothes here…