Registered in 2017, Antalya Piyazı has been known beyond the province for roughly a century. Unlike piyaz served as a side salad elsewhere, Antalya’s version is traditionally eaten as a substantial dish. Its identity comes from pale tahini tarator and small, matte, veined beans that hold their shape—historically Çandır beans and now commonly a similar Sıra-type bean.
Antalya Piyazı — Recipe Card
Antalya White Beans with Tahini Tarator
Makes 6 servings · Makes 6 substantial servings.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 Antalya Piyazı
Soak the beans
Cover the beans with plenty of salted water and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. For a quick soak, boil them 5 minutes, cover and stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Cook until tender
Cover with fresh salted water. Simmer 20–25 minutes, drain and rinse once, then return to fresh water and simmer until tender and beginning to crack but not falling apart, 35–60 minutes. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons beans, and cool the rest until warm.
Build the tarator
Mash the reserved beans. Whisk them with tahini, garlic, half the measured salt, lemon juice and grape vinegar. Gradually whisk in the tarator water and 90 ml/6 tablespoons olive oil until thick, pale and pourable.
Dress the warm beans
Spread the warm beans on a wide serving plate. Pour over the tarator and fold gently so every bean is coated without breaking it.
Add the toppings
Arrange the quartered eggs, diced tomatoes, green peppers, scallions and parsley over the beans. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, black pepper and the remaining salt.
Finish and serve
Drizzle with the remaining 30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil. Rest 15 minutes for the flavors to settle, then serve warm or cool within the food-safety limits.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-white-beans-with-tahini-tarator-antalya-piyazi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Bean choice
The registration favors small, matte, veined beans that remain intact; Sıra-type beans replace scarce traditional Çandır beans. Small navy beans are a practical substitute outside Türkiye.
Registered versus home formula
The geographical-indication document gives a large-production tarator ratio. This six-serving version follows the Ministry culture portal’s home formula, standardized to metric and 240 ml cups.
Tarator consistency
The sauce should be thick enough to coat the beans yet flow from a spoon. Add its water gradually because tahini brands thicken differently.
Heat level
Medium with six green peppers and red pepper flakes. For mild piyaz, use sweet green peppers and omit the flakes; for hotter piyaz, choose hot sivri peppers.
Dietary and allergens
Vegetarian. Contains sesame and egg. Tahini and vinegar labels can vary; no gluten-free or cross-contact claim is made.
Food safety
Keep the eggs refrigerated until assembly. Refrigerate the finished piyaz within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C/90°F.
How to store and reheat Antalya Piyazı
Refrigerate covered within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C/90°F) and use within 3 days. Stir gently before serving; add a spoonful of water if the tahini has tightened. Do not freeze, because the sauce can separate and the tomato and eggs lose texture.
Antalya Piyazı: questions and answers
How is Antalya Piyazı different from ordinary piyaz?
Its defining feature is a generous tahini tarator, and in Antalya it is traditionally treated as a substantial dish rather than only a side salad.
Do I have to use Çandır beans?
No. Production is now very limited; the registration permits a similar small, matte, veined Sıra-type bean that holds its shape.
Why mash beans into the sauce?
A small amount makes the tarator fuller and helps it cling. The registration notes that some producers use them and others rely on tahini alone.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Cook the beans and tarator one day ahead and refrigerate separately. Assemble with eggs and fresh vegetables shortly before serving.
