Gavurdağı Salatası is a yet another light salad of Turkish cuisine. The main ingredients of this salad are juicy tomatoes, spring onions, green pepper, parsley, pomegranate syrup and crushed walnut halves. This Turkish salad is the ‘must have salad’ of the all kebab restaurants’ menus.
When we translate this salad’s name in English, it may sound funny to you. It translates as ‘Gavur Mountain Salad’. Gavurdağı Salatası received its name from the mountain located at between Adana city and Ceyhan River.
Once the foreigners first see this salad, it may look like a dip more than a salad. The simplicity of the core ingredients let you to think that it is a dip; however it is a very refreshing salad. Once you combine the southern juicy tomatoes and pomegranate syrup at any salad, you get a very refreshing blend. In southern cities, pomegranate syrup widely use at salads because pomegranate production is made at this region of Turkey.
Where To Eat?
When you go to a kebab restaurant in Adana city, Gaziantep city or Hatay city, the waiter brings Gavurdağı Salatası and lavash bread to the table without asking you. You can consider it as ‚on the house salad. It is the most common Turkish salad variety of the south and southeast region of Turkey.
I personally like to eat this salad with Adana Kebab. Gavurdağı Salad and Adana Kebab suit well to each other by taste. If you are visiting the southern part of Turkey and stop by a kebab restaurant, this famous Turkish salad will be on your table for sure. However, if you are visiting other cities such as Istanbul, Ankara or İzmir, you need to ask for the waiter if they have it or not. Usually, most kebab restaurants put this delicious salad to their menu.
If you are in İstanbul and want to give a try to Gavurdağı Salatası, I am recommending you to stop by at Hamdi Restaurant. The restaurant has delicious kebabs, salads and desserts. The restaurant also has an amazing Bosporus view. I believe; you will leave the restaurant with a very happy face.
Gavurdağı Salatası
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp pomegranate syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 tbsp red chili pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 4 tomatoes peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley leaves finely chopped
- 15 Walnut Halves finely chopped
- 5 Walnut Halves (to garnish) roughly chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 spring onions finely chopped
- 2 green pepper finely chopped
Instructions
Mix the all the ingredients and season it with pomegranate syrup, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Garnished with the roughly chopped 5 walnut halves and serve.