Turkish Acılı Ezme – Fiery Tomato and Pepper Salsa

About This Recipe

Acılı ezme is Turkey's answer to salsa — a finely chopped mixture of tomatoes, peppers (both sweet and hot), onion, garlic, and fresh herbs, dressed with olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and lemon juice. The name means 'spicy mash,' and while it is chopped rather than puréed, the ingredients are worked fine enough that the mixture almost becomes a thick paste. It is the essential condiment alongside any Turkish grill — döner, köfte, şiş, or kebab. The freshness and quality of the vegetables matters enormously here. The best acılı ezme is made with ripe, flavourful summer tomatoes, fresh hot peppers, and good olive oil. The pomegranate molasses adds a characteristic sweet-sour depth that elevates this from a simple salsa to something deeply complex. The ingredients are all chopped by hand rather than blended — the texture of small, evenly-cut pieces is part of the character. Acılı ezme is also a versatile spread: use it as a dip with flatbread, spoon it over grilled meats, spread it inside sandwiches, or serve it as part of a meze table. It takes 15 minutes to make and keeps for two days in the fridge.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 4ripe tomatoes(very finely chopped)
• 2long green peppers(very finely chopped)
• 1hot chilli pepper(or more to taste)
• 1small onion(very finely chopped)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 small bunchflat-leaf parsley(very finely chopped)
• 2 tbsppomegranate molasses
• 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
• 1lemon(juice)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspsumac

Instructions

1. 1

   Chop finely

   Chop all vegetables as finely as possible — the pieces should be approximately 2–3mm. This is done by hand, not a food processor.

   A mezzaluna (curved chopping knife) makes the fine chopping much easier.

2. 2

   Mix the dressing

   Combine pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sumac. Pour over the chopped vegetables.

3. 3

   Mix and rest

   Stir everything together. Leave to rest 10 minutes for the salt to draw moisture from the vegetables and meld the flavours.

4. 4

   Taste and adjust

   Taste — adjust salt, heat (chilli), and the balance of sweet (pomegranate) and acid (lemon). Serve at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Add finely chopped cucumber for a more cooling version.

• •

  Include a tablespoon of Turkish pepper paste for deeper, smokier heat.

Storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge. Drain any excess liquid before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions