Bostana Salad Recipe
Bostana salad is one of the most popular and rare vegan flavors of Şanlıurfa cuisine. Although it resembles çoban salatası (shepherd's salad) and gavurdagi salad, it is a different salad in terms of some ingredients and the way it is served.
The most different feature of bostana salad from both çoban salatası, gavurdagi salad and other salads is that it is served with ice cubes. While the ice cools the salad, it also dilutes it. This makes the salad different in terms of both taste and consistency.
In this respect, it would not be wrong to compare the bostana salad to gazpacho soup. Even though gazpacho soup has the consistency of soup, it is exactly the same as shepherd's salad in terms of flavor (according to me). In Bostana resembles gazpacho because of its consistency and ingredients other than isot. Gavurdagi, on the other hand, is distinguished by the flavor of walnuts.
Like many salads, bostana salad varies from source to source. For example, purslane is not mentioned in some sources. This includes the official website of the Şanlıurfa governorship. But people who say they are from Urfa consider purslane a must. While many sources use olive oil, some sources say that olive oil should not be used. I guess ice cubes are not used as they can freeze olive oil. But ice cubes melt very quickly and do not cause such a problem. Therefore, if the salad will not be stored in the refrigerator for a long time, I think there is no need to give up olive oil. However, I am writing the recipe without olive oil as I believe it to be original.
One of the most iconic ingredients of bostana salad is isot (Urfa pepper). I love the smell and taste of isot. I keep it at home because I always use it in the recipe for lahmacun. But I am also aware that there is a spice that may not be in everyone's home.
If you don't have isot at hand, you can use pepper flakes instead.
Enjoy the recipe...
Bostana Salad Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion,
- 2 cucumbers,
- 1 green pepper,
- 5 tomatoes,
- A pinch of parsley,
- A pinch of fresh mint,
- A pinch of purslane,
- 5-6 ice cubes.
For the sauce;
- Juice of 1/2 lemon,
- 3 tablespoons of pomegranate syrup,
- 1 tablespoon of isot,
- 1 teaspoon of tomato paste,
- Salt.
Preparation
- Chop the onion, cucumber, green pepper and tomato into small cubes,
- Finely chop the parsley, mint and purslane,
- For the sauce, mix lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, isot, tomato paste and salt in a separate bowl,
- Add the sauce to the salat ingredients and mix,
- Add ice cubes and transfer to a serving plate.
Enjoy your meal...