Şiveydiz Recipe

Şiveydiz is one of the lesser-known dishes of Gaziantep cuisine, despite having received geographical indication status. Although it contains meat like almost every Gaziantep dish, it cannot truly be described as a meat dish, as the amount of meat is relatively small compared to the other ingredients. Its main ingredients are fresh garlic and fresh spring onions, two vegetables that we are not particularly accustomed to eating cooked. Upon hearing this, many people might assume that şiveydiz is an intensely aromatic dish, but that is a common misconception.

When cooked, fresh garlic and spring onions contribute a delicate freshness to the dish, much like the addition of fresh herbs. In fact, contrary to popular belief, Gaziantep cuisine is not characterized by heavy flavors. Rather, its remarkable richness of ingredients often creates that impression.

According to the geographical indication document for Şiveydiz, the ingredients should have the following characteristics:

Fresh Spring Onions: The spring onions used for şiveydiz should be thick and fleshy. After removing the outer layers and root ends, only the white parts are used, while the green tops are set aside.

Fresh Garlic: The fresh garlic should also be thick and fleshy. The outer layers and root ends are removed. In traditional Antep Şiveydiz, only the white parts are used, while the green tops are discarded.

Lamb (Cubed or Bone-In): The meat should be lamb and may be used either as large cubes or bone-in pieces.

Chickpeas: They should be free from foreign matter, damaged grains, or mold.

Eggs: They should be fresh, with no unpleasant odor or cracks.

Strained Yogurt: It should be fresh and not sour.

Clarified Butter or Olive Oil: Clarified butter is obtained by melting butter and removing the water that separates during the process.

The preparation method is also somewhat different from similar dishes. In many meat dishes, the meat is first browned and then cooked with liquid. In şiveydiz, however, the meat is boiled, and the foam that rises to the surface during cooking is skimmed off with a spoon or strainer. In many yogurt-based soups and stews (such as Turkish boiled meat with yogurt sauce), flour is typically used as a thickener. Şiveydiz, however, relies solely on strained yogurt for its creamy consistency, which requires a generous amount of yogurt. Similarly, while many Turkish dishes and soups enriched with egg and yogurt (such as Yayla Soup) use only egg yolks, şiveydiz incorporates the whole egg, including the white.

I did not follow two of the geographical indication specifications exactly.

The first was the ratio of meat to onions and garlic. According to the official document, the amount of onions and garlic should be roughly eight times the amount of meat. In other words, for 600 g of meat, approximately 4 kg of onions and garlic are recommended. To be honest, that ratio did not quite make sense to me. I thought, "What harm could a little extra meat do?" and adjusted the proportions according to my own preference. In the end, I did not find the meat excessive at all. The balance felt just right to me.

The second modification was using pre-cooked chickpeas. According to the geographical indication document, chickpeas that have been soaked overnight are cooked together with the meat. I happened to have cooked chickpeas on hand, so I used those instead. This does not significantly alter the recipe, but I wanted to mention it for anyone who wishes to prepare the dish as traditionally as possible.

Enjoy!

Enjoy your meal!