Turkish Market Heaven

Yesterday marked exactly one week since we joined the exodus of Melbournians in Berlin and we've settled nicely into our cosy apartment in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, an inner city borough that straddles the former East Berlin (Friedrichshain) and the former West Berlin (Kreuzberg) following the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.

Our apartment is within a short walk of the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining section of the Berlin wall that is covered in graffiti and street art (much like the rest of the neighbourhood). The area is notorious for being a creative haven; indulging the growing digital startup scene and being home to countless artists, students and entrepreneurs. Entire buildings are used as blank canvases and the bustling streets are dotted with art galleries, chic boutiques, boisterous bars, leisurely cafes...

So whilst undoubtedly a bohemian and fashionable (i.e. hipster) area, regular markets and a large Turkish community ensure that it's still easy to eat cheaply here.

In fact, even without self-catering Berlin is a fabulously cheap place to eat. Street corners are dotted with currywurst and doner kebab vendors (the latter being invented in Berlin apparently), Vietnamese phở is in available everywhere (much to my delight!) and even a cafe brunch (an indulgent pastime that I'd forfeited in order to save to travel) would only set you back €5-8.

Still, all that eating out does eventually add up and now that we know how much we've actually spent so far on this trip, we're even more determined to stick to our budget over winter.

Fortunately just as our meagre food supplies were almost depleted, it was Türkischer Markt (Turkish Market) day!

I'd been waiting in anticipation for this market ever since our flatmate told us about it - whilst I'd become somewhat bored with Turkish köfte and börek after 2 months of eating it constantly, it had been a week since I'd had the potent Turkish kahve or some of the sticky, golden, Levantine delicacy that is Baklava. 

I love baklava

I was also eager to replenish my stockpile of spices (especially now that I had somewhere to store them, instead of walking around with a backpack infused with cumin and paprika) and fill our fridge with the usual cache of fruit and veg, in an attempt to mitigate the damage caused by living in a city where beer was cheaper than water...

So off we trundled with our backpacks, side-stepping the piles of dog shit and weaving through the crowds of students and unemployed until we finally reached the Landwehrkanal lined with burgeoning stalls and the air filled with the aroma of fresh coffee.

As hawkers shouted out prices in German and dreadlocked musos whined at passers-by; I trawled past stall after stall laden with seasonal produce and fresh bread and mounds of hummus and cheese... I was in heaven. As my eyes soaked up the plethora of gourmet delights my stomach protested loudly, so we stopped for some enormous zucchini fritters drizzled with zesty tzatziki (a bargain of a lunch at only €1.50). 

Much like our weekly street market in Melbourne, prices were indeed cheaper here than at our local supermarket - with even further savings to be had towards the end of trade. Perfect for two frugal-living backpackers!

So two hours later we headed home, bags stuffed with chickpeas and beans, sumac, turkish pide, fresh Gorgonzola and Walnut tortellini (not particularly Turkish, but there were Italian and Greek stalls there too) and all manner of fresh fruit and vegetables, enough for an entire month of home-cooked meals... Or, at least until next market day :)

Tonight I'll be cooking up a dish I threw together in a hostel in Marmaris, Turkey. It's perfect for budget travellers as it requires no meat and can be entirely cooked in one pan if needed. It's also oh-so-easy and delicious!

Eggplant (Aubergine) and Chickpeas with Bulgur

• 1 x can of chickpeas (I prefer dried ones I soak and boil first, but as this isn't always possible on the road canned is fine - just rinse them first)
• 1 x large eggplant (aubergine), sliced thinly
• 1 x large red pepper (capsicum), diced
• 2-3 large tomatoes, diced (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 x brown onion, diced
• 1/2 lemon (optional)
• 2 teaspoons of sumac
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cooking oil
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1/2 cup of bulgur (rice or couscous would work too)

1) If cooking bulgur/rice/couscous from scratch, put it on first (follow packet instructions - but generally bulgur just needs liquid ratio of 2:1 and 10-20 mins simmering until absorbed).

2) Slice eggplant (aubergine), sprinkle salt on either side set aside while you chop all other veg (this absorbs some of the water retained in the eggplant).

3) Once all veg ready, rinse your can of chickpeas thoroughly and set aside.

4) Heat oil in a fry pan and cook the eggplant (aubergine) on either side until brown and soft. Transfer to a plate.

5) Sauté onion until transparent, add chopped garlic for 1 min.

6) Add red pepper (capsicum) and diced tomatoes, stir to combine. 

7) Let tomatoes get mushy and release water, stirring occasionally while they simmer and thicken.

8) As water reduces and sauce has thickened nicely (approx 10-15 mins), add a generous swig of balsamic vinegar if you have it.

9) Cut your cooked eggplant slices into halves or quarters and combine with your tomato/onion/red pepper mixture.

10) Add chickpeas to the vegetables and stir to combine.

11) Once everything is mixed well, add 2 teaspoons of sumac and season to taste (I add pepper but no salt if using canned chickpeas, as they will most likely have salt added if canned). 

12) Spoon bulgur/rice/couscous onto plates and top with chickpeas and eggplant mixture. Drizzle with 1/2 lemon and serve.