Zeytinyağlı Semizotu (Purslane In Olive Oil)

Ingredients

1 bunch purslane1/4 cup olive oil1 medium onion (finely diced)3 cloves garlic (finely minced)1 carrot (finely diced)1 red bell pepper or kapya biber (finely diced)2 tomatoes (diced)1 tbsp tomato paste1/2 tsp salt (to taste)1/4 tsp ground black pepper (to taste)

Steps

Thoroughly wash purslane to get rid of any dirt, drain well, pluck leaves, chop stems into 1 inch pieces & set aside.Heat a pan on medium high & add olive oil.When hot, add onion & garlic, cook till onion turns translucent.Add both types of tomatoes, carrot, bell pepper, salt & pepper, cook until tomatoes have broken down.Taste to adjust seasoning, remove from heat when purslane is tender & serve warm.

Semizotu Salatası (Purslane Salad)

1 bunch purslane2 cups Turkish or Greek yogurt2 cloves garlic (grated)1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1/4 tsp salt (to taste)1/4 tsp chilli flakes (to taste)

Steps

Thoroughly wash purslane to get rid of dirt, drain well, pluck leaves, chop stems into 1 inch pieces & set aside.In a separate bowl, whip together the other ingredients using a whisk, until smooth & creamy then taste to adjust seasoning.Add purslane leaves into the bowl of yoghurt & stir well to make sure they are full covered with the yogurt mixture.Serve immediately, or cover & chill it for several hours (flavour gets better if the salad rests for a while)Gently stir before serving.