''Ladera'' ( Greek λαδερά), ''zeytinyağlı (yemekler)'' (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

), or ''bil zayt'' ( Arabic بالزيت) is a category of vegetable dishes cooked in

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, notably Greek,

, and Arabic cuisines. The name in all these languages means "with (olive) oil". Ladera consist of vegetables, plain or stuffed, cooked in a tomato, onion, garlic, and olive oil sauce, and usually do not contain meat. Formerly, lemon juice was used when tomatoes were out of season.Aglaia Kremezi, ''The Foods of the Greek Islands'', p. 177 They may be stewed on the range-top or baked in the oven. Ladera can be served on their own, typically with feta cheese and bread, or with potatoes, bulgur, or pasta. They may also be served as a side dish to fish or meat. They are often served warm or at room temperature, and are popular in the summer. They are also commonly eaten as a fasting food.Βασιλεία Λούβαρη-Γιαννέτσου, ''Τα Σαρακοστιανά 50 συνταγές για τη Σαρακοστή και τις γιορτές'' (''Lent foods: 50 recipes for Lent and the holidays''), 2014 Examples include: * Vegetables including green beans, zucchini, okra,

leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

s, and

eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mos ...

* With lemon, peas, artichokes, fava,

carrots The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nativ ...

, and zucchini * A mixture of vegetables, called ''tourlou'' (Greek), ''türlü'' (Turkish), or briam. *

İmam bayıldı İmam bayıldı (literally: "the imam fainted") is a dish in Ottoman cuisine consisting of whole eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, and simmered in olive oil. It is a ( olive oil-based) dish and is found in most of the forme ...

* Many kinds of leaves rolled around fillings ( sarma) * Many kinds of stuffed vegetables (

dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with whol ...

)

Notes

Ottoman cuisine Vegetable dishes Vegetarian cuisine Olive oil Lenten foods

See also

Notes