TÜRKPATENT registration No. 1216 identifies Şanlıurfa Bostanası / Bostana with Şanlıurfa and records the exact combination of tomato, fresh hot red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, parsley, purslane, dry onion, pomegranate molasses, salt and lemon juice. The specification says the salad contains no oil, is served cold and may be finished with pomegranate arils. Şanlıurfa's municipal and Culture Portal versions likewise emphasize very fine chopping and seasonal souring. This home recipe follows the registered quantities and method for six side portions.
Şanlıurfa Bostanası / Bostana — Recipe Card
Finely Chopped Şanlıurfa Tomato and Purslane Salad
Makes 6 servings · Makes one generous bowl, serving 6 as a side salad or mezze.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Şanlıurfa Bostanası / Bostana
Wash and dry the produce
Wash your hands and clean the work surface. Rinse the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, parsley and purslane thoroughly under cool running water without soap. Scrub the cucumber with a clean produce brush, remove any damaged areas, then dry everything with clean towels.
Make the grated tomato base
Set aside 250 g (8.8 oz) of the tomatoes and grate them into a large nonreactive mixing bowl, discarding the flattened skins. The loose pulp and juice will form the base of the dressing.
Chop everything very fine
With a sharp knife, cut the remaining tomatoes, hot red peppers, mild green peppers, cucumber and onion into pieces no larger than about 3 mm (1/8 inch). Finely chop the parsley and tender purslane. For a slightly milder base, remove the chile seeds and pale membranes before chopping; wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to chiles.
Dress without oil
Add all the chopped vegetables and herbs to the grated tomato. Pour in the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, sprinkle over the salt and fold thoroughly for about 1 minute. The mixture should be juicy and spoonable but still distinctly chopped. Do not add olive oil.
Chill and serve
Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Stir once, transfer to a shallow serving bowl and scatter over the optional pomegranate arils. Serve cold as a bright accompaniment to grilled dishes, kebabs or flatbread.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/sanliurfa-bostanasi-recipe-spicy-turkish-tomato-salad. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
Make it work in your kitchen
Ingredient Substitutions
These swaps change flavor or texture as described. Keep the original ingredients for the closest version of the dish.
Pomegranate molasses
If unavailable, omit it and add lemon juice gradually to taste. This is a flavor adjustment, not a like-for-like replacement: the result will be less fruity and less sweet.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Registered method
The TÜRKPATENT specification gives these quantities and names pomegranate molasses made from Suruç or Karaköprü pomegranates for the registered product in Şanlıurfa. Outside the region, use a pure, sharply tart pomegranate molasses rather than sweet grenadine.
No oil
Oil is specifically absent from the registered Şanlıurfa method. Grated tomato, pomegranate molasses and lemon provide the salad's moisture and balance.
Heat level
Spicy. The base recipe contains 70 g fresh hot red pepper. For a milder version, replace part or all of it gram for gram with mild red pepper; for maximum heat, keep the seeds and membranes. Pepper strength varies, so taste a tiny piece before chopping.
Dietary notes
The base recipe is vegan and vegetarian and contains no deliberately added wheat. If gluten avoidance is medically necessary, check the pomegranate molasses label and kitchen cross-contact rather than assuming every packaged product is gluten-free.
How to store and reheat Şanlıurfa Bostanası / Bostana
Serve promptly for the liveliest texture. Refrigerate leftovers in a clean airtight container within 2 hours at 4°C/40°F or below and eat within 1 day; stir before serving. Do not freeze, because the raw vegetables become watery and soft when thawed.
Şanlıurfa Bostanası / Bostana: questions and answers
Is Bostana the same as Çoban Salatası?
No. Both use fresh chopped vegetables, but Şanlıurfa Bostanası is cut especially fine, includes purslane and fresh hot red pepper, and is dressed with grated tomato, pomegranate molasses and lemon without oil.
Can I use pomegranate juice instead of pomegranate molasses?
The registered version uses pomegranate molasses. Şanlıurfa's municipal tradition also records seasonal fresh pomegranate juice or verjuice, but they are thinner and less concentrated; use them as a regional variation, not a direct one-for-one substitute in this registered-method recipe.
Can I chop Bostana in a food processor?
A sharp knife gives the best controlled texture. A processor can turn tomatoes and purslane mushy; if you use one, pulse each ingredient separately only a few times and stop while distinct tiny pieces remain.
