Turkish food FTW!

[Subtle_badger]

I went to a Turkish restaurant yesterday, and after my travails at an Indian where I ordered tandoori mixed grill and brinjal bhaji, because they were nearly the only dishes on the menu I could eat, the Turkish restaurant I could eat most of the things on the menu. They just give you a big bowl of bread on the table, but you can ignore that. I did.

Even the drinks are suitable. The two drinks that were Turkish were salgam (turnip juice) and ayran (a salty lassi). I didn't try them because it didn't even look at that part of the menu until I got home, but they both seem right in line with healthy eating.

But the real discovery for me yogurtlu. Kebabs (in the photo it's adana) in tomato sauce on a bed of Greek (Turkish, I guess, but thick) yogurt. There was some nonsense croutons underneath, but plenty of food without that.

And filling. What's in the photo plus a bit of salad was all I ate yesterday. Managed to cycle 50km to the restaurant and back with only that for fuel.

[Subtle_badger]

And only two desserts on the menu, obviously just a token. Eating sweets is not part of the experience, except the inevitable Turkish delight with the bill.

[Cosmo501]

Looks and sounds delicious... you've reminded me I have had that dish before, a while ago. It was good! .. I'm envious of your 50km bike ride

[Shield-Maiden]

I see that white wine 😋 and the food looks good too SB...but I wouldn't fancy the bike ride home....well done you. I hope you weren't alone...does your OH enjoy cycling too? (I hope you don't mind me being nosey)

[Subtle_badger in reply to Shield-Maiden]

I'm in London. I don't have to travel 50km to find a kebab. I was meeting my brother for lunch. He's a fussy eater to the point it might be an eating disorder and only ate meat and bread, and I didn't touch the bread, and left croutons stripped of all the sauce on my plate.

I wonder what the restaurant thought of us. I guess if they weren't paying attention, we ate a normal amount of bread and salad between us.

[Shield-Maiden in reply to Subtle_badger]

That's nice, family time.

I used to live outside of London, and work in London; and my OH used to ride into Old Street (from Epping) ....I miss London, it's a vibrant and historic city, and, a lot of fun. I miss the fast pace of life there.

Have a good week

[Sheperdess]

I love lassi and although not a meat eater your dinner looks fabulous 😊

[Subtle_badger in reply to Sheperdess]

It's not a place for vegetarian low carbers. You have to walk past piles of uncooked meat, and the vegetarian options, though tasty sounding, are not low carb.

[monday1957]

Hiya Subtle_badger - funnily enough, my hub & I had our anniversary lunch at a fab Turkish restaurant today. There were several vegetarian options for me, although my falafel & hummus starter probably wasn’t that low in carbs. The main dish - imam biyaldi - stuffed aubergine - with a huge mixed salad - was probably better lchf fare. 🌻

[Subtle_badger in reply to monday1957]

I love imam biyaldi, and that is definitely low carb. Wasn't on the menu here.

I was with a vegetarian (actually pescatarian) friend tonight, and I said Turkish is probably not for you...do you like aubergine? she pulled a face. Falafel? "too dry"

She'd lose a lot of weight in Turkey, I think. Or maybe not, we all love the bread.

[monday1957]

I think aubergine is a bit like marmite - you either love it or hate it. I'm in the former camp! Falafel - hmm - always gets served with hummus which counter balances the potential dryness, no...? I could also have had halloumi with salad today, too - as long as I hadn't gone overboard, that would have been pretty lchf, too, methinks 🥗

[Subtle_badger in reply to monday1957]

Is the falafel with hummus a newish thing? I used to always eat it with a tahini or garlic sauce.

I mean, not new-new, waitrose has been selling it for a while. But sort of 21st century. It doesn't seem an ideal combination nutritionally, as it's almost completely chickpeas.

(I will check how my friend feels about halloumi)

[Missdoubleyou]

I love Middle Eastern food! Tonight I’m making lamb meatballs stuffed with halloumi. I love vegetarian food but find most restaurants serve only really high carb dishes.

[Subtle_badger in reply to Missdoubleyou]

Lovely. Put it on a bed of Greek yoghurt, and smother it with tomato sauce, and you will have yogurtlu.

(enjoy it however you eat it)