Zeytinyağlı Kereviz, Turkish Braised Celery Root
Zeytinyağlı dishes are the backbone of the Turkish cold table: vegetables cooked gently in water and lemon, then left to settle. Celery root is the winter star, braising with carrot and potato into something between a stew and a salad, the root turning silky where the potato stays firm. Classic recipes reach for olive oil and a spoon of sugar. Neither is needed here. The carrots and slow-cooked onion supply the sweetness, and the dish carries its own body once the potato starch thickens the braising liquid. A rub of lemon keeps the celery root pale, and a second squeeze at the end, with plenty of dill, does the work salt usually would. Serve it cold, straight from the fridge, as a meze or a light side.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Celery root, about 1.5 lb (700 g), peeled and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
- 2 wholes Carrots (cooking), cut in thick coins
- 2 wholes Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, slivered
- 2 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup Frozen peas
- 3 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Oranges, juice
- 3 tbsp Dill, chopped
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
Method
- Rub the cut celery root with 1 tbsp of the lemon juice as you go. It browns fast once peeled, and the acid keeps it pale so the finished dish stays pale gold, not gray.
- Sweat the onion and garlic in 3 tbsp water in a wide pan until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. This is the flavor base that oil would normally start, built in water instead.
- Add the celery root, carrot, and potato, the orange juice, another tablespoon of lemon, and enough water to come halfway up. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Cooking the vegetables partly submerged lets the potato shed starch that thickens the liquid into a light sauce, which is where the richness comes from with no oil.
- Stir in the peas and cook 5 minutes more, until everything is tender and the liquid has reduced to a few spoonfuls. Peas go in late so they stay green and sweet.
- Off the heat, add the last tablespoon of lemon, the dill, and the black pepper. Let it cool to room temperature, then chill. Zeytinyağlı dishes taste flat when hot and come together as they cool, so serving it cold is not a shortcut but the tradition. The final lemon and the dill do the seasoning that salt usually would.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 calories, 4 g protein, 6 g fiber, 85 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
