Zeytinyağlı pırasa belongs to the Turkish olive-oil vegetable tradition. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism records a version with carrots, a little onion, rice and lemon. This home-sized recipe follows that combination and uses water rather than stock.
Zeytinyağlı Pırasa — Recipe Card
Olive-oil braised leeks with carrots, rice and lemon
Makes 4 servings · 4 side-dish portionsUS 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 Zeytinyağlı Pırasa
Clean and cut
Cut the leeks diagonally into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) pieces. Rinse thoroughly in a large bowl of cold water, separating the layers slightly where needed; lift out and repeat if gritty. Slice the carrots into 1 cm (⅜ inch) coins.
Braise gently
Place the leeks, carrots and onion in a wide saucepan. Scatter over the drained rice, salt and sugar, then add the olive oil and hot water. Bring to a gentle simmer over about 5 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 25–30 minutes, until the carrots, leeks and rice are tender. Shake the pan occasionally instead of stirring vigorously. If it begins to dry before the rice is tender, add hot water a tablespoon at a time.
Cool and serve
Transfer to a shallow container and let steam escape for about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C (90°F). Chill for about 2 hours, until cool throughout. Serve with the lemon juice and parsley, dividing between four side portions.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-olive-oil-braised-leeks-zeytinyagli-pirasa. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Dietary notes
Vegan as written: olive oil and water are used, with no butter, yogurt or animal stock. If replacing the water with packaged stock, check its ingredients and allergens.
Heat level
No added chili. For a hotter serving, add a pinch of hot pul biber at the table; it is not included in the base dish.
Water and texture
This should be moist, not soupy. Leeks release water as they cook; keep the lid on and add extra liquid only when needed. Do not substitute brown rice directly, as its longer cooking can overcook the vegetables.
How to store and reheat Zeytinyağlı Pırasa
Keep covered at 4°C (40°F) or below and eat within 2 days. Serve only the amount needed and return the remainder promptly to the refrigerator. If serving warm, reheat the portion to 74°C (165°F) throughout; avoid repeatedly warming the whole batch.
Zeytinyağlı Pırasa: questions and answers
Do I have to add onion?
This version uses a small amount, as in the Ministry's recipe. You can omit the 40 g (1.4 oz) onion without changing the other amounts; the leeks already provide an allium flavor.
Can I use the dark green leek tops?
The firm dark tops take longer to soften. Save them for stock rather than adding them to this recipe, which uses the white and tender pale-green sections.
