I Don't Want Nirvana! I Want Great Food, Always! -- Part IX - Sedef Of Göreme...

From lessons in Hittite pottery at Avanos, we headed to Göreme for a traditional Cappadocian lunch, which we will remember for rest of our lives.

 

The drive to Göreme took about 30 minutes and then we landed up at the Sedef Restaurant, located in a veritable oasis in this semi-arid Anatolian landscape...

We could not ask for more - right under the very cool shade of the trees around, we had a wonderful view of the classic Cappadocian land features...

As we waited for our food to come, we took a look around...

There isn't anything more enchanting seeing and smelling fresh breads being baked! 

Kebabs waiting to be cooked...

A baked dish of tomatoes, aubergines and meat...

Onions, meat and mushrooms...

Lahmacun being prepared...

There can nothing be yummier than fresh bread...

Yummy stuff, but once these yummy delights were an absolute necessity when armies of soldiers and traders had these meals simply out of necessity...

Marinated meats...

Marinated chicken...

We had mezze platter to start our meal - sampling of salads, hummus, babaghanoush, cottage cheese and yogurt dips with an amazing array of freshly baked breads whetted our appetites...

Neeti choose an Anatolian delight - a chicken Testi Kebap...

The Testi Kebap is an Anatolian speciality prepared in a specific handmade clay pot (called testi) which has two parts - the lower and the upper. The pot is filled with chicken (or meats), onions, garlic, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, local spices and a secret sauce. The clay pot is sealed with dough to keep the flavours sealed in. Then the sealed pot is baked in a hot oven for over 3 hours. The vegetables and meat are cooked without boiling.
I am told the dish has its origins in the olden times when farming communities used keep the claypots in their ovens while they worked on their fields. And when they returned back, a hearty meal awaited them!

And there are some theatrics involved in opening the claypot, which has to be seen to be believed...

And the smells that wafted out were miraculous...

I chose a conventional kebap which was indeed quite delectable and spicy...

Turkish coffee to go with dessert...

Turkish rice pudding or Sütlaç was quite delightful with a unique flavour...

But Neeti stuck to her favourite beverage, tea, this time Turkish tea or çay in tulip shaped tumblers...

Indeed this was a meal we will remember for the rest of our lives. Cappadocia has indeed cast its culinary spell on us. Indeed I Don't Want Nirvana! I Want Great Food, Always!