Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

I wish somebody would have told me before what an amazing dish you can get from the combination of herbed Greek yoghurt, chilli butter sauce and poached eggs. Turkish Eggs or Cilbir are our new favourite dish to prepare for brunches.

If you have never heard of Turkish eggs, known as Cilbir, you need to keep reading! As much as we enjoy making Shakshuka on a Sunday morning for brunch, we wanted to expand on our breakfast and brunch recipes and this seemed the perfect one to do it so. So glad we decided to start making Turkish eggs at home, this dish is an absolute winner.

Using really basic ingredients, Turkish eggs are a fairly easy recipe to make at home. Serve with some toasted bread and you'll have a damn good brunch or breakfast on your table ready in 25 minutes!

Simple ingredients

This dish is something that is made when you don't have many ingredients in the fridge and want to prepare something quick, healthy and delicious for your family. It uses simple ingredients that many people have already at home, specially in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean countries.

Greek Yoghurt. Choose good quality and creamy Greek Yoghurt. It needs to be thick in order to act as a base of the dish.

Fresh herbs. We use dill and mint. You can add parsley, oregano or other fresh herbs of your choice.

Garlic. We like garlicky food, but when served raw, garlic can overpower the rest of the flavours. Make sure to not add too much. ½ clove should be more than enough.

Eggs. Normally we make one egg per person. Served with the Greek yoghurt, the melted butter sauce and some bread, it should be enough to start the day. If you are thinking on making Turkish eggs for lunch or dinner, maybe two eggs would be better.

Unsalted butter. We recommend using regular unsalted butter.

Spices. Chili flakes and smoked paprika are the spices used for this recipe. If you have Aleppo peppers at home, make sure you use them instead.

Turkish eggs in three steps

• Prepare the yoghurt. Turkish eggs or Cilbir are made with Greek yoghurt combined with fresh herbs and garlic. We use fresh dill and mint for our yoghurt base. Finely chop the dill and mint, add some crushed or grated garlic and combine the ingredients with the Greek yoghurt. Then season with salt and pepper.
  Tips: The garlic can overpower the rest of the ingredients, so we suggest adding just ¼ or ½ a garlic clove and adjust later to taste. We use a microplane to grate the garlic so it's easily incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.
  
• Poach the eggs. Poaching eggs can sound simple for some and really challenging for others. If you are in the second group, don't worry, getting a perfect poached egg is easier than you think. Fill a deep pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and create a vortex. Crack the egg and add it to the middle of the vortex. Cook for three minutes to get the perfect egg with a runny yolk. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and leave aside while you cook the next egg.
  Tips: Do not add salt in the water as it will help to separate the white part of the egg and always try using fresh eggs.
  
• Make the chili melted butter. Using a pan, melt unsalted butter. When the butter starts to bubble add the spices. Traditionally, Aleppo peppers are used but for our recipe, we use chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Stir and the sauce will be ready to serve.

Make Turkish Eggs or Cilbir for Kids

Turkish eggs are spicy so they are not the best option for kids. You can slightly change the recipe to make it Kid and toddler friendly.

Change the chili flakes or Aleppo peppers for sweet paprika. As well, we recommend reducing the amount of garlic used. Garlic is healthy but adding too much can be a bit overpowering for your little one.

Dipping some toasted bread on the runny yolk egg it's such a fun way to start a brunch! Our toddler Luca loves it when we make Shakshuka or Turkish eggs, he makes sure he's the first one dipping his bread in the egg. If you want to involve them in the kitchen, they can as well help you prepare the yoghurt base.

Serving Suggestions

Turkish eggs can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Such a versatile dish, you can combine it with some toasted bread, some other side dishes such as this Homemade Loaded Hummus or a yummy Baba Ganoush.

Make sure you add enough chili melted butter on the top of the eggs and yoghurt, I find this to be the best part!

If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations!