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Blanching / boiling Browning Frying Roasting / baking Steaming Steeping

Dicing Fine mince Half-moon slice Julienne

Kneading Proofing Rolling out

Blooming tomato paste Browned butter sauce Tempering yoghurt

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Home/Cooking Techniques

Techniques

Kitchen techniques encyclopaedia

Recipes drop instructions like "julienne the vegetables", "temper the yoghurt", "rest the dough" without explanation. This page covers, step by step, the techniques a home kitchen needs most often — when to use them, why, and the mistake people make most.

16 techniques · step by step

Cutting techniques · 4 Cooking methods · 6 Dough work · 3 Sauces and tempering · 3

Cutting techniques

Knife work is the most critical pre-cook stage: the same ingredient cooks and tastes differently depending on how it was cut.

Dicing

küp doğrama (5–10 mm cubes)

Cutting vegetable or meat into even-sided small cubes. 5 mm (brunoise) or 10 mm (dice) depending on the recipe's purpose.

When to use

Salad bases, sauté starts, soup mirepoix, the onion base of a bean stew. Even cubes cook evenly.

Common mistake

Keeping the size "about right": with one 5 mm cube and one 15 mm cube, the big ones stay raw while the small ones turn to mush. Always trim two flat faces first to stabilise the vegetable.

Steps

Wash the vegetable, pat dry. A wet surface slips under the blade.
Make parallel slices from one end (3–10 mm). Stack the slices.
Cut the stack into strips of the same width (julienne).
Rotate 90° and cut across the strips at the same spacing — cubes.
Spread on a tray; re-cut the 2–3 largest pieces for evenness.

Julienne

jülyen (~3 mm × 5 cm matchsticks)

Long thin matchsticks. Preserves the colour and texture of the vegetable; sought in raw and lightly cooked dishes.

When to use

Raw salad (carrot, celery), Asian-style stir-fry, sandwich filling, soup garnish. Drops cooking time to 1–3 min.

Common mistake

Cuts too thick mean too long in the pan for a quick sauté; too thin and they stick and break. 3 mm × 5 cm is a balanced default.

Steps

Wash and pat dry. Trim the ends square.
Slice off one long side as a thin slab to flatten the curved surface.
Cut into 5 cm sections. Stand each section with the flat side down.
From above, take long slices 3 mm apart (slabs).
Stack the slabs and cut crosswise at 3 mm — matchsticks.

Half-moon slice

yarım ay

Halve a round vegetable then slice into thin half-circles. The most practical shape for sautés and roasts.

When to use

Onion for browning (mince-pilaf, the base of lentil soup), aubergine / zucchini stews, oven potatoes.

Common mistake

Half-moons too thick (5+ mm) drag out onion browning and don't caramelise evenly. Rule of thumb: 3 mm for browning, 4–5 mm for frying.

Steps

Peel the onion / zucchini and halve lengthwise.
Sit the half cut-side down on the board.
From the side, slice at right angles at 2–4 mm intervals.
If you want separate rings, push them apart with your fingers; otherwise tip straight into the pan.

Fine mince

kıyma kıvamı (parsley, garlic)

Chopping leafy herbs (parsley, dill, mint) or garlic almost to dust. Required everywhere in Turkish cooking from salads to meatballs.

When to use

Kneading köfte, smooth mezes (haydari, ezme), salad scatter, dolma filling. Fine cuts spread flavour evenly.

Common mistake

Rocking the blade so long that the leaves bruise and weep — the colour fades and the flavour weakens. Use fast, short strokes.

Steps

Pull the leaves from the stems. Save the stems for stock.
Pat the leaves dry — wet leaves stick to the blade.
Anchor the tip of the blade, rock the handle up and down over the pile.
After 20–30 s, stop, scrape the chop back into a pile, repeat for another 20–30 s.
For finer still, add a pinch of salt — it speeds the breakdown.

Cooking methods

Same ingredient, different heat method, very different outcome. Choosing the right method is half the recipe.

Browning (kavurma)

sautéing to colour

Cooking in fat over medium-high heat without letting the food release water, deepening the surface colour. The Maillard reaction adds aroma and flavour depth.

When to use

Onion base (start of any stew), the first stage of a meat stew, vegetable side dish, blooming tomato paste.

Common mistake

Starting cold — the food releases water and steams instead of browning. Heat the pan first, then add fat, then the food.

Steps

Heat the pan dry over medium-high for 1–2 min. A water drop should dance on the surface (Leidenfrost).
Add the fat. Allow ~20 s to heat; pull back if it nears smoke point.
Add the ingredient. Don't stir for the first 30 s — surface contact is what builds the brown.
After that, stir every 1–2 min until the whole batch is flecked with brown.
Once browned, either add the next ingredient at once or move the food off the pan.

Steeping (demleme)

resting off heat under the lid

After removing from the burner, keeping the lid closed so trapped steam continues to work. Used for structural change (rice grain opening) and aroma softening.

When to use

Pilaf (rests 10 min after boiling), tea (3–5 min), tirit, beef stew before service.

Common mistake

Opening the lid mid-steep "to check" — released steam ruins the rice. Time it by the clock, not by eye.

Steps

When the cooking time is up, turn off the burner.
Clamp the lid down. If needed, trap a kitchen cloth under the lid to seal in steam.
Start a timer: pilaf 10 min, tea 3–5 min, beef stew 5–8 min.
When time is up, open the lid and vent once.
For pilaf, lift the grains gently from the bottom — they separate.

Blanching / boiling (haşlama)

cooking in salted water

Cooking in boiling salted or plain water. Time varies widely: broccoli 2 min, chickpeas 50 min.

When to use

Preserving green vegetables' colour (short), legumes (long), pasta and noodles, drawing meat stock.

Common mistake

Not shocking blanched greens in iced water afterwards — they continue cooking from residual heat and go yellow.

Steps

Bring water to a strong boil in a covered pot. Salt: 10 g per 1 L (sea-water tasting).
Add the ingredient in one go — don't overload or you'll drop the temperature.
Short for vegetables: broccoli 2 min, spinach 30 s, green beans 4 min. Long for legumes: chickpeas 45–55 min.
Lift out fast with a slotted spoon or basket.
If it's a green vegetable, plunge straight into iced water (shock). For hot service, don't pre-blanch.

Frying (kızartma)

deep and shallow frying

Cooking in oil at 160–180°C. The surface loses water, firms and browns; the inside holds water and stays soft.

When to use

Vegetable fries (aubergine, zucchini, pepper), çiğ köfte, içli köfte, fish, chips, dough (lokma, çörek).

Common mistake

Adding food to oil that hasn't reached temperature — it absorbs oil and turns greasy. No thermometer? Dip a wooden chopstick: small bubbles rising around it means ready.

Steps

Heat oil over medium for 5–7 min. The limit: just below smoking.
Check 170°C with a thermometer. Otherwise: chopstick test for bubbles.
Lower food in gently with a spoon. Cover at most half the pan surface — more drops the temperature.
Cook to golden, 2–4 min per side.
Lift out with a slotted spoon, spread on paper towel. Surplus oil drains.

Roasting / baking

fırınlama (dry oven heat)

Cooking in dry oven air. Top heat sears the surface; bottom heat cooks through. The main heat method for vegetables, meat and pastry.

When to use

Meat casserole, vegetable tray, börek, baklava, bread, cake, lasagne. Pulls multi-step cooking into one tray.

Common mistake

Not pre-heating — cakes and böreks don't rise if they go into a cold oven. Pre-heat for 10–15 min.

Steps

Pre-heat to target (cake 175°C, börek 200°C, meat 180–220°C).
Use the middle rack for most dishes.
Don't open the door often — heat drops ~20°C each time.
Check doneness visually and physically: skewer for cake (comes out clean), internal temp for meat (lamb 65°C, chicken 75°C).
Remove and rest 5–10 min. Mandatory for meat — juices redistribute through the fibres.

Steaming

buharda pişirme

Cooking with the steam of boiling water, food never in contact with the liquid. Low vitamin loss, texture preserved.

When to use

Steamed mantı, fish, vegetables, dim-sum style pastries. Preferred for diet cooking.

Common mistake

Boiling the pan dry. Check water every 10–15 min.

Steps

Boil 3–4 cm water in a pot.
Set a metal or bamboo steamer basket on top. The base must not touch the water.
Spread the food in the basket — no overlap.
Lid on tight. Times: broccoli 4 min, fish fillet 6–8 min, mantı 12 min.
Open the lid briefly halfway through to check, then re-seal.

Dough work

Mantı, börek, bread, baklava — the widest category in Turkish cooking starts with dough. Kneading and resting decide the outcome.

Kneading

yoğurma

Working flour + water (with fat / yeast as needed) by hand or machine. Aim: develop the gluten network that gives the dough elasticity and rise capacity.

When to use

Bread, pide, pizza base, mantı dough, açma, simit. Short for unleavened (mantı, yufka); long for leavened.

Common mistake

Under-kneading: gluten under-developed, dough won't rise, bread stays doughy. Test: stretch a piece between two fingers — it should make a thin window the light passes through without tearing.

Steps

Make a well in the flour, pour water/milk into the centre. Stir first with a spoon, then with your hand.
Once it forms a single mass, turn out onto the work surface.
Push the dough away with the heel of your palm, then fold it back over itself. Repeat.
Bread dough: 8–12 min. Mantı dough: 5 min.
Do the window test: stretch thin, light should pass through.

Proofing

mayalama / leavening

Leaving yeasted dough in a warm spot to grow in volume. The CO₂ from yeast is trapped in the gluten network.

When to use

Bread, pide, simit, açma, lokma. Not used for unleavened dough (mantı, yufka, baklava).

Common mistake

Too cold — won't grow for hours. Too hot — over 35°C the yeast dies. Ideal 24–28°C.

Steps

Place kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover with cling film or a damp cloth.
Set in a warm, draught-free corner. Summer: counter. Winter: on top of the (closed) oven.
Wait 60–90 min. Dough should double.
Two-finger test: press two fingers into the dough. If the dent fills back slowly, it's ready. Fills back fast? Wait longer.

Rolling out

açma

Taking kneaded dough thin with an oklava. Yufka almost translucent, mantı semi-translucent, börek 2–3 mm.

When to use

Yufka, baklava, mantı, su böreği, sigara böreği, lavaş.

Common mistake

Rolling only in one direction — the dough turns oval with thick edges and a thin centre. Rotate 90° between passes for an even round.

Steps

Lightly flour the surface. Press the dough ball flat with your hands.
Start the rolling pin in the centre, push forward with light pressure. Then back.
Rotate the dough 90°. Roll again.
Keep alternating direction with each pass until it reaches the target thickness.
For ultra-thin yufka: wrap the dough around the pin and roll the wrapped pin back and forth to stretch it further.

Sauces and tempering

Most Turkish dishes lean on a sauce or tempered dairy. Binding yoghurt, butter and spice correctly decides the outcome.

Tempering yoghurt

terbiye (yoghurt soup binder)

Adding yoghurt to a hot soup or dish without it splitting. The yoghurt + flour + egg yolk + hot stock is built up step by step.

When to use

Düğün soup, ezogelin, yayla soup, yoghurt-sauced mantı. Same trick for cream or labneh.

Common mistake

Pouring yoghurt straight into boiling soup — it splits instantly into curds. Stepwise warming is non-negotiable.

Steps

In a bowl combine 200 g yoghurt + 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon flour + 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Whisk smooth.
Add 1 ladle of the hot soup to the yoghurt while whisking.
Add 2 more ladles the same way — the temper is now close to soup temperature.
Pour the tempered mixture into the pot, stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a bare simmer. Remove from heat.

Browned butter sauce

tereyağında pul biber (top butter)

Butter combined with red pepper, tomato paste or mint over high heat. Spooned over mantı, soup or pilaf at the moment of service.

When to use

Mantı, lentil soup, yayla soup, içli köfte, lentil pilaf.

Common mistake

Leaving the butter to scorch instead of pulling at colour — turns bitter. When the foam subsides, take it off the heat.

Steps

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat.
Once it foams, add the spice (1 teaspoon pul biber / mint / paste).
Within 10–15 s the colour deepens — smell becomes hazelnut-like.
Off the heat immediately. Residual heat will burn it.
Drizzle straight onto the plate or soup. Serve.

Blooming tomato paste

salça açma

Briefly frying tomato paste in oil so the raw aroma cooks off and the sugars caramelise. The flavour depth of stews is set at this stage.

When to use

Kuru fasulye, chickpea stew, mince stews, pilaf with mince. Skipping it leaves a flat, raw taste.

Common mistake

Dropping the paste directly into water — flavour goes sour and flat. It has to fry in oil first.

Steps

After browning the onion (half-moons, 4–5 min), push to the side and add tomato paste to the centre (1–2 tablespoons).
Stir the paste through the oil for 1–2 min on medium-low.
It darkens, the oil takes a red sheen, the smell softens.
Add water or stock at once — the paste mustn't scorch.
Bring to a simmer.

This page is a living document: a new technique or an addition to an existing one is added when validated. Every technique here has been verified in recipe practice.

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