Şehriye can form a pilaf of its own in Turkish cooking. This tomato-paste version follows the toast, simmer and covered-rest method documented by Arçelik’s culinary team, using olive oil and water.
Salçalı Şehriye Pilavı — Recipe Card
Toasted orzo cooked with tomato paste
Makes 4 servings · Makes 4 side portions.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 Salçalı Şehriye Pilavı
Toast
Heat olive oil in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add dry orzo and stir for 2–3 minutes until some pieces are golden. Stir in tomato paste for 1 minute.
Simmer
Carefully add 400 ml (1⅔ US cups) hot water and salt; reserve the other 80 ml (⅓ US cup). Stir once, bring to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook on low heat for 12–15 minutes until the pasta is tender and the liquid absorbed. If still firm and dry, add reserved water 15 ml (1 tbsp) at a time and continue gently; you may not need all of it.
Rest
Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, scatter the parsley over it and serve warm.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-tomato-orzo-pilaf-salcali-sehriye-pilavi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Dietary notes
Vegan with the specified egg-free pasta and plain remaining ingredients. Orzo is wheat pasta and contains gluten; despite its shape and Turkish name, it is not rice or a gluten-free grain. Check pasta labels for egg or other allergens.
Heat level
No added chili. For optional heat, add 1 g (½ tsp) hot pul biber with the tomato paste; the pictured base version contains none.
Liquid
Pan width and pasta brand affect absorption. Start with 400 ml water and hold back the listed 80 ml; avoid adding it automatically.
How to store and reheat Salçalı Şehriye Pilavı
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Use within 2 days. Reheat only the portion needed to 74°C (165°F) throughout.
Salçalı Şehriye Pilavı: questions and answers
Should I rinse the pasta?
No. Add the dry orzo directly to the oil for toasting.
Can I use broth?
Replace the measured water with the same amount of vegan vegetable broth and reduce salt according to its label. The base recipe uses water.
