B1 · 48 words

Cooking in Turkish

Chopping, peeling, grating, stirring, frying and boiling — plus pan, pot, lid and the measures recipes use.

Practise this list

From these 48 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

Recipes are written in the imperative, as in English: doğra “chop”, ekle “add”, politely karıştırın “stir”. Many kitchen verbs come in pairs — one without an object, one with — where English often uses the same verb for both: su kaynıyor “the water is boiling”, but suyu kaynatıyorum “I am boiling the water”; pilav pişti “the rice is cooked”, but pilavı pişirdim “I cooked the rice”. Turkish recipes often measure with what is in the cupboard: su bardağı“a glass”çay kaşığı“a teaspoon”

The words

Verb (26)

doğramakto chopVerbB1

Soğanı ince ince doğra.Chop the onion very finely.

What: accusative.

Conjugation of doğramak →

soymakto peelVerbB1

Patatesleri soyup küp küp doğradım.I peeled the potatoes and cut them into cubes.

What: accusative. Aorist soyar. Also “to rob”.

Conjugation of soymak →

rendelemekto grateVerbB1

Havuçları rendeleyip salataya ekle.Grate the carrots and add them to the salad.

What: accusative.

karıştırmakto stir, to mix; to mix upVerbB1

Sos yanmasın diye sürekli karıştır.Keep stirring so the sauce does not burn.

What: accusative. Also “to confuse”: isimleri karıştırmak.

Conjugation of karıştırmak →

kaynamakto boil (by itself)VerbB1

Su kaynayınca makarnayı at.When the water boils, put the pasta in.

No object: the water boils. “To boil something” is kaynatmak.

Conjugation of kaynamak →

kaynatmakto boil (something)VerbB1

Sütü kaynatıp soğumaya bırak.Boil the milk and leave it to cool.

What: accusative.

Conjugation of kaynatmak →

kızartmakto fry; to toastVerbB1

Patlıcanları kızgın yağda kızart.Fry the aubergines in hot oil.

What: accusative. Also toast: ekmek kızartmak.

Conjugation of kızartmak →

haşlamakto boil (food in water)VerbB1

Yumurtaları on dakika haşladım.I boiled the eggs for ten minutes.

What: accusative; boiled eggs: haşlanmış yumurta.

kavurmakto fry lightly, to brown, to roastVerbB1

Kıymayı soğanla birlikte kavur.Brown the mince together with the onion.

What: accusative.

pişmekto cook, to be doneVerbB1

Pilav pişti mi?Is the rice done?

No object: the food cooks; the person cooking says pişirmek. Aorist pişer.

Conjugation of pişmek →

yoğurmakto kneadVerbB1

Hamuru on dakika yoğurun.Knead the dough for ten minutes.

What: accusative.

dilimlemekto sliceVerbB1

Domatesleri ince dilimle.Slice the tomatoes thinly.

What: accusative.

çırpmakto whisk, to beatVerbB1

Yumurtaları şekerle köpürene kadar çırpın.Beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy.

What: accusative. Aorist çırpar.

süzmekto drain, to strainVerbB1

Makarnayı süzüp tereyağı ekledim.I drained the pasta and added butter.

What: accusative. Aorist süzer.

ısıtmakto heat up, to warmVerbB1

Dünkü çorbayı ısıtıp yedik.We heated up yesterday’s soup and ate it.

What: accusative. Without an object: ısınmak “to get warm”.

soğutmakto cool, to chillVerbB1

Tatlıyı buzdolabında iki saat soğutun.Chill the dessert in the fridge for two hours.

What: accusative. Without an object: soğumak.

eritmekto melt (something)VerbB1

Tereyağını tavada erit.Melt the butter in the pan.

What: accusative. Without an object: erimek.

Conjugation of eritmek →

serpmekto sprinkleVerbB1

Üstüne biraz maydanoz serp.Sprinkle a little parsley on top.

Onto what: dative. Aorist serper.

eklemekto addVerbB1

Son olarak bir tutam tuz ekle.Finally add a pinch of salt.

What: accusative; to what: dative.

Conjugation of eklemek →

demlemekto brew, to let (tea) steepVerbB1

Çayı on beş dakika demle.Let the tea brew for fifteen minutes.

What: accusative. Turkish tea brews in the upper pot, the demlik.

Conjugation of demlemek →

dondurmakto freezeVerbB1

Kalan köfteleri dondurdum.I froze the leftover meatballs.

What: accusative. Hence dondurma “ice cream”.

Conjugation of dondurmak →

yanmakto burn; to be on (light)VerbB1

Konuşurken pilav yandı.While we were chatting the rice burnt.

No object; lights and fires “burn” too. Aorist yanar.

Conjugation of yanmak →

ezmekto mash, to crushVerbB1

Haşlanmış patatesleri çatalla ez.Mash the boiled potatoes with a fork.

sarmakto wrap, to rollVerbB1

Annem yaprakları tek tek sarıyor.My mother is rolling the vine leaves one by one.

tuzlamakto saltVerbB1

Eti pişirmeden önce biraz tuzla.Salt the meat a little before you fry it.

közlemekto roast over embersVerbB1

Patlıcanları mangalda közledik.We roasted the aubergines over the embers on the barbecue.

Noun (21)

Grammar for these: No article, no gender · The plural with -ler and -lar

tarifrecipe; descriptionNounB1

Bu kekin tarifini annemden aldım.I got the recipe for this cake from my mother.

Also yol tarifi “directions”. A doctor’s prescription is reçete.

malzemeingredient; materialNounB1

Bütün malzemeleri önceden hazırla.Prepare all the ingredients in advance.

rendegraterNounB1

Peyniri rendenin ince tarafıyla rendele.Grate the cheese with the fine side of the grater.

hamurdough, pastryNounB1

Hamur bir saat dinlensin.Let the dough rest for an hour.

dilimsliceNounB1

Bana bir dilim ekmek verir misin?Will you give me a slice of bread?

kapaklidNounB1

Tencerenin kapağını kapat.Put the lid on the pot.

Softens: kapağı.

tepsibaking tray; trayNounB1

Börekleri tepsiye diz.Lay the börek out on the tray.

kepçeladleNounB1

Çorbayı kepçeyle kâselere koy.Ladle the soup into the bowls.

kesme tahtasıchopping boardNounB1

Eti ayrı bir kesme tahtasında kes.Cut the meat on a separate chopping board.

dondurucufreezerNounB1

Dondurucuda hâlâ biraz balık var.There is still some fish in the freezer.

su bardağıglass (as a measure)NounB1

İki su bardağı un ekleyin.Add two glasses of flour.

A fixed measure in Turkish recipes, about two hundred millilitres.

çay kaşığıteaspoonNounB1

Bir çay kaşığı karbonat koy.Add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

Bigger: tatlı kaşığı “dessertspoon”, bigger still yemek kaşığı “tablespoon”.

tutampinch; bunchNounB1

Bir tutam tuz yeterli.A pinch of salt is enough.

kısık ateşlow heatNounB1

Yemeği kısık ateşte yarım saat pişir.Cook the food on a low heat for half an hour.

To turn down the heat: ateşi kısmak.

kabukpeel, skin; crustNounB1

Portakalın kabuğunu rendeleyin.Grate the orange peel.

Softens: kabuğu.

süzgeçsieve, colanderNounB1

Süzgeç lavabonun altındaki dolapta.The colander is in the cupboard under the sink.

From süzmek; softens: süzgeci.

oklavarolling pinNounB1

Hamuru oklavayla ince ince aç.Roll the dough out very thinly with the rolling pin.

Long and thin, for yufka. To roll out dough: hamur açmak.

mangalcharcoal grill, barbecueNounB1

Pazar günü bahçede mangal yaptık.On Sunday we had a barbecue in the garden.

mangal yapmak “to have a barbecue”.

düdüklü tencerepressure cookerNounB1

Nohutu düdüklü tencerede yarım saatte pişirdim.I cooked the chickpeas in the pressure cooker in half an hour.

Literally “whistling pot”.

mayayeastNounB1

Hamura biraz maya ekle ve bir saat beklet.Add some yeast to the dough and leave it for an hour.

tarçıncinnamonNounB1

Sütlacın üstüne tarçın serptim.I sprinkled cinnamon on the rice pudding.

Adjective (1)

Grammar for these: The adjective comes first and stays the same · Bigger and biggest: “daha” and “en”

çiğrawAdjectiveB1

Tavuğu asla çiğ yeme.Never eat chicken raw.

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