My husband has been talking about this dish, Soganli Yahni, which, when translated means “Onion Kebab.” I looked in every Turkish cookbook I have (which is a lot) and it was nowhere. I finally found one recipe on the internet and adapted the dish to suit my family’s taste. The result? A simple beef stew-type dish. It’s tender and delicious. Serve it with white rice (I prefer Basmati) either on the side or in the same bowl and it’s a complete meal for one or the entire family. It reheats well, too.
For this recipe you’ll need:
Approximately 2 pounds stewing beef
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. all spice
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 TB olive oil
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 TB butter
About 2 – 2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth (it needs to cover the meat so the meat can stew)
1 Package frozen pearl onions
A few slices of orange peel
1 package whole mushrooms, cut into quarters (optional)
Additional beef stock – approximately 1-2 cups
To Make this Meal:
Cut the stewing beef into desired size.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil. When hot, add the beef. Add salt, garlic powder, and all spice. Brown on all sides.
Add diced tomato, butter, and beef broth to cover the beef. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least an hour, up to two hours.
Remove lid and add onions, orange peel, mushrooms, and enough beef stock (if needed) to make the stew desired consistency. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and cook an additional 30 minutes. Can remove lid if desired to absorb some of the liquid. It should be the consistency of a soup or stew.
Serve in a bowl on top of white rice for a delicious flavor.
Tips:
You may need to brown the beef in two batches. It’s important that the heat stays high and that each piece of beef lays in the pan. If the beef pieces are on top of one another, the beef won’t brown.
For the authentic Turkish recipe, omit the mushrooms, garlic powder, and all spice.
May substitute water for the beef stock, but the flavor won’t be as tasty.
THIS MEAL WILL FEED 5-6 PEOPLE AS A MAIN DISH