Grilled Salsa (Grilled Ezme)

Grilled Ezme is a vibrant, smoky Turkish appetizer made from charred vegetables and aromatic seasonings.

For this recipe you can use just a normal oven.

Tip: For the best flavor, keep the grilled ezme in the fridge overnight. This allows the tastes to meld and settle, making it even more delicious the next day.

Ingredients

• 500 g ideally ripe tomatoes (I didn't have them)

• 100 g aromatics (90g onion ,10g garlic)

• 100 g green pepper (mildly spicy kind)

• 100 g red bell pepper

• 30 g fresh parsley

• 1 tbsp sumac

• 1 tbsp tomato paste ( adjust up to 2 tbsp)

• 1 tbsp mild Turkish pepper paste

• 1 tbsp pomegranate sauce ( ideally not a sweet one)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp brewer’s yeast (optional)

• 1 tsp salt (7 g)

• ⅓ tsp black pepper

• Toppings of your choice

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 250°C (480°F).

2. Place the tomatoes, aromatics, and peppers on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, until the surface starts to brown.

   

3. Cover the vegetables immediately after browning and let them sit for 3 minutes. This makes it much easier to peel off the skins.

4. Peel the vegetables and transfer them to a deep dish.

   Cut tomatoes and pepper with a cookie cutter so you can save the juice.

   

   

5. Add parsley, sumac, tomato paste, Turkish pepper paste, pomegranate sauce , lemon juice, olive oil, brewer’s yeast (to add umami ), salt, and black pepper.

6. Mix until you get a slightly coarse but well-mixed sauce.

7. Adjust the amount of tomato paste to control the consistency. I like to keep it a bit runny, then let it sit overnight in the fridge—by the next day, it thickens slightly and the flavors meld beautifully.

   

Serving Tip

Serve chilled or at room temperature as a dip with flatbread or as part of a mezze platter. (Served with pomegranate seeds ,dill and EV olive oil)