Almost Turkish Recipes

Celery Root à la Turque (Zeytinyağlı Kereviz)

























Who likes celery root? It's a complicated issue. People who think it has a very strong smell can handle celery stalks. And there are also people like me who cannot have even a single bite from celery stalk because of its smell, but love celery root. So you have to try to see if you like it or not. As if having one strong smelling plant is not enough, this recipe requires another one: dill, the odor of which, to some, is less agreeable than many other herbs like fennel or cilantro. Although some fictitious characters like Beavis and Butt-Head use "dillweed" as an insult, the term "dill" comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, dylee, that means to lull or soothe. Strong smells of celery root and dill create a perfect harmony. Celery roots usually look like this when they are not cooked:



























1 medium size celery root, peeled and diced
1 big onion, diced
2 carrots, cut in quarter-rounds
1 potato, peeled and diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 can of green peas (15 oz- 400 gr.) or frozen peas
1 tsp sugar
salt
1 bunch dill, chopped
water

-Pick a strong knife to peel and chop celery root; it's a little bit hard. And make sure among all the ingredients it's the last thing to chop. Peeled celery root darkens pretty fast.
-Put everything except for dill in a broad pot. Add water to barely cover the ingredients.
-Cook on low for 25-30 minutes. To see if it's cooked taste the carrots.
-Let it cool down. Garnish with dill.

This recipe of celery root is an olive oil recipe, and it is best when it's served cold. However, it's good when it's warm, too.


This is another dill recipe for Weekend Herb Blogging created by Kalyn and hosted by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once . Just like fava beans, to serve celery root without dill would be a crime.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:31 PM

    Another one of my favourites! Celery has such a taste that everyone should try at least once. Very good choice Burcu

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  2. Intersting recipe! I have never had celery root before. Don't mind trying some though! :)

    Love your blog! I am hoping that soon you will teach us how to make a good tabbouleh! :P

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  3. Very nice photo of the finished dish! I haven't had celery root before, but I love celery so I'm guessing I would like it. I'll have to see if it's even sold in stores here. I don't remember seeing it.

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  4. Thank you all!
    White poplar: I love tabbouleh. I promise I'll make it and write the recipe as soon as I find pomegranate syrup.

    Kalyn: I'm sure you can find it in stores; weird but true that I buy it usually from Kroger which is not very vegetable or organic produce oriented chain store.

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  5. Anonymous5:25 PM

    Just a note of caution..

    I'm the type of person that grew up with no allergies to anything. I eat celery like it's no one's business, but the one time I ate celery root it prompted a severe allergic reaction.

    Apparently, there are many people in the world allergic to celery (who knew?) and even to those that aren't vulnerable to celery at all, the root has a much higher concentration of the properties that cause allergic reactions.

    So, if you're prone to food allergies, I would say to proceed with caution when you try celery root.

    Other than that, it's absolutely delicious, somewhat similar to a potato, but unique in it's own way. I wish I didn't have problems with it or I'd eat it all the time! (it's fantastic with cauliflower and onion in a tomato sauce!)

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  6. Thanks for showing me a new veg (for me), I love to try celery root... yes, won't forget that dill. Very good write up Burcu!

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  7. hey burcu, i refound your blog! lost the bookmarked link i had to it. i love celeryroot. i am sure you must know what apyo is, right? your recipe reminds me of this what we ate alot of at home!

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  8. Hi Burekaboy,
    actually I don't know what apyo is. Is it a kind of celery?

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  9. no, its a side dish/salad. it's actually celery root sliced and cooked with sliced carrots, in a bit of water mixed with lemon juice and sugar. it is served as a salad served room temperature. the slices are the same thickness so they cook in the same amount of time. it really is good.

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  10. Anonymous5:37 AM

    For those who don't like the taste of celery (root) much, you can also add half a glass of ORANGE juice in this nice dish.

    Cheers!
    G

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  11. Anonymous9:56 PM

    Shouldn't the diced onions sauteed a bit first?

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  12. Actually, just like someone else experienced, I had eaten celery all my life (and love it!) so I was so happy to try the celery root and had quite a hideous and horrible allergic reaction. It's lasted almost a week. I've been allergic to a few things in my life but never to this degree and I googled it and it's not uncommon! You should be concerned especially if you have German, French or Swiss genes! Now I'm wondering if I'm allergic to celery too but to a lesser degree. After this bout I think I have sworn off both for life. This has never happened before with anything other than flax seed.

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  13. Anonymous2:26 AM

    Thanks for the recipie! I always forget the recipie for this. My husbands turkish family cuts the celery root in rounds which at the end is noce for presentation and serving. I do enjoy to cook it with some lemon juice and to add lemon juice with the dill at the end additionally. Thanks for this qui k and easy recipie. I have sautayed the onion and carrot before adding the rest but this recipie is nice and easy.

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