My mom has made this Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe every summer for as long as I can remember, a big batch that lasts us through the colder months. It sounds like a multi-day project, but the actual work is simple and mostly hands-off, just ferment a mix of yogurt, vegetables, and herbs, then dry and grind it into powder.
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The result is a pantry staple that keeps for up to a year, ready for Turkish Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Çorbası whenever you want it.
You can halve this recipe for a smaller batch, or double it if you want a bigger stash to last through the year.
What is Tarhana?
Tarhana is a fermented mixture that’s dried and turned into powder, traditionally used to make a thick and hearty soup. The fermentation gives it a slightly tangy flavor that sets it apart from other soup bases. It’s an ancient way to preserve fresh vegetables and herbs.
There are many different versions of this fermented mixture, but the basic concept remains the same: it’s a blend of yogurt, flour, vegetables, and fresh herbs that’s allowed to ferment before being dried.
Tarhana is such an important part of Turkish food culture that two regional versions, from Maraş and Uşak, hold official Protected Geographical Indication status in Turkey, the same kind of legal recognition given to Champagne or Parmesan cheese.
Why Make Your Own Tarhana?
- Homemade tarhana is not only tasty but also incredibly versatile. You can tweak the ingredients to suit your taste, adjust the flavors, and control how tangy it turns out.
- It’s a great way to use up extra summer vegetables and herbs.
- Once dried, you can store tarhana for months in airtight containers. When you're ready for soup, just rehydrate it with water or stock and simmer.
- One of the best things about homemade tarhana is that it's a fantastic time-saver on busy days. With your jar of tarhana powder on hand, you can whip up a hearty soup in under 15 minutes, perfect for a quick lunch or dinner when you don't have time for a more elaborate meal.
- Tarhana is naturally rich in protein and minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and because it's made with fermented yogurt, it has a natural probiotic content too.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Yogurt - For this recipe, you’ll be using a combination of thick strained yogurt (like Greek yogurt) and regular natural yogurt. The thick yogurt helps give tarhana its rich texture, while the regular yogurt adds to the fermentation process. If you’re making your own yogurt, this is a great way to use it!
- Tomatoes - Try and use the ripest, reddest vine-ripened tomatoes you can find.
- Red peppers - I usually use romano peppers but red bell peppers or any sweet type of red pepper works great with the tarhana recipe.
- Onions - You can use a medium-sized brown, white, or yellow onion.
- Fresh herbs - A mixture of parsley, dill, and mint works great!
How to Make Turkish Tarhana Powder
Making homemade tarhana powder from scratch might seem like a lengthy process, but it's actually quite simple and well worth the time and effort. Just follow a few easy steps and check out the tips to get the best results:
Prepare the Vegetables
Start by thoroughly washing your red Romano peppers, tomatoes, peeled onions, parsley, dill, and mint. You’ll want to roughly chop them all, as they’ll be blended together later.
Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer it to a large bowl. Repeat the same with red peppers, onions, and fresh herbs, and add them together with the tomatoes.
Pour in the strained yogurt and natural yogurt, salt, yeast, and flour, and stir well until everything is fully combined.
Ferment the Mixture
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to ferment for 3-4 days. During this time, the mixture will start to develop that signature tangy flavor, thanks to the yeast and yogurt.
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once a day to help it ferment evenly. After 3-4 days of fermentation, the tarhana mixture will be ready to dry.
Dry the Tarhana
Spread the mixture onto generously floured clean kitchen towels or a cloth in small, thin mounds. Leave enough space in between to speed up the drying process. You can do this on a tray or directly on a clean surface.
Leave it to dry in a sunny, warm, and dry place for a couple of days, flipping it occasionally so it dries evenly.
After 2 sunny days, the tarhana will be nearly dried. Break it into smaller pieces at this stage to speed up the drying process.
Leave it dry for another day and grind it into a fine powder using a food processor or blender.
After blending the tarhana, pass it through a colander so there are no large pieces left. If any remain, simply collect them and blend again until you have a fine, smooth tarhana powder.
Your tarhana powder is almost ready, but you’ll need to spread it out on a clean cloth for a couple more days until it’s fully dried.
Once completely dry, you can store it in airtight containers for months.
Oven or Dehydrator Drying Option
This recipe is written for the traditional sun-drying method, but you can dry tarhana indoors if you don't have a few sunny days to spare.
In the oven, spread the pieces in a thin layer on a baking sheet, set it to its lowest temperature (around 150°F/65°C), and prop the door open slightly so moisture can escape. Check every 30 to 45 minutes and flip the pieces occasionally, it usually takes 3 to 6 hours depending on thickness.
In a food dehydrator, arrange the pieces in a single layer with space between them and dry at 95 to 115°F (35 to 46°C) for 8 to 12 hours. Either way, it's ready once it's completely dry and snaps rather than bends.
Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe Tips
- Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once a day during fermentation to distribute the flavors and help it ferment evenly.
- When spreading out the fermented mixture to dry, keep it in small, thin mounds so it dries evenly.
- Leave enough space in between the tarhana mounds to speed up the drying process.
- Pick a warm sunny time of the year to make the whole process quicker.
- Once your tarhana powder is completely dry, store it in airtight containers to preserve its flavor and keep moisture out.
- If you want to speed up fermentation, some traditional methods use a chickpea yeast starter instead of relying on the yogurt alone, though the yogurt-only method in this recipe works well and needs no extra prep.
Storage Instructions
Store completely dried tarhana powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from moisture and direct light. Kept this way, it lasts up to 12 months.
Recipe FAQs
Fermentation is key to tarhana’s flavor, so it's best not to skip it. The fermentation process is what gives tarhana its signature tanginess and depth.
Yes, tarhana varies a lot by region in Turkey. Some versions use cracked wheat instead of flour, others add broth, cheese, or ground meat, and a few use grape must instead of fermentation for a sweeter flavor. This recipe is the common yogurt, flour, and vegetable version found in most home kitchens.
One popular story traces the name back to ‘dar hane çorbası,’ meaning poor household’s soup in Turkish, which is said to have shifted over time into tarhana. The dish itself goes back centuries as a way for Turkic communities in Central Asia to preserve yogurt and vegetables through the winter.
Yes. In the oven, spread the pieces in a thin layer, set it to its lowest temperature, and prop the door open so moisture can escape, this usually takes 3 to 6 hours. In a dehydrator, dry at 95 to 115°F (35 to 46°C) for 8 to 12 hours. Sun-drying is the traditional method, but either indoor option works if the weather isn't cooperating.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Turkish food recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below, tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram, and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¾ lb red romano peppers (1200 g)
- 4¼ lb tomatoes (1900 g)
- 2¼ lb onion (1000 g)
- 3½ oz flat-leaf parsley leaves (100 g)
- 3½ oz fresh dill (100 g)
- 3½ oz fresh mint leaves (100 g)
- 6 cups thick strained yogurt (1200 g)
- 1¼ cups natural yogurt (300 g)
- 17½ cups plain white flour / all-purpose flour (2200 g)
- 5¼ oz salt (150 g)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Instructions
Preparing the Vegetables
- Start by thoroughly washing your red Romano peppers, tomatoes, peeled onions, parsley, dill, and mint. You’ll want to roughly chop them all, as they’ll be blended together later.
- Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer it to a large bowl.
- Repeat the same with red peppers, onions, and fresh herbs, and add them together with the tomatoes.
- Pour in the strained yogurt and natural yogurt, salt, yeast, and flour, and stir well until everything is fully combined.
Fermenting the Mixture
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to ferment for 3-4 days. During this time, the mixture will start to develop that signature tangy flavor, thanks to the yeast and yogurt.
- Stir the mixture once a day to help it ferment evenly. After 3-4 days of fermentation, the tarhana mixture will be ready to dry.
Drying the Tarhana
- Spread the mixture onto generously floured clean kitchen towels or a cloth in small, thin mounds. Leave enough space in between to speed up the drying process. You can do this on a tray or directly on a clean surface.
- Leave it to dry in a sunny, warm, and dry place for a couple of days, flipping it occasionally so it dries evenly.
- After 2 sunny days, the tarhana will be nearly dried. Break it into smaller pieces at this stage to speed up the drying process. Leave it dry for another day and grind it into a fine powder using a food processor or blender.
- After blending the tarhana, pass it through a colander to remove any large pieces. If any remain, simply collect them and blend again until you have a fine, smooth tarhana powder.
- Your tarhana powder is almost ready, but you’ll need to spread it out on a clean cloth for a couple more days until it’s fully dried. Once completely dry, you can store it in airtight containers for months.
Notes
- Store completely dried tarhana powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It keeps for up to 12 months.
- Stir the fermenting mixture with a wooden spoon once a day to distribute the flavors and help it ferment evenly.
- When spreading the fermented mixture out to dry, use small, thin mounds with space between them so it dries evenly and quickly.
- Pick a warm, sunny stretch of weather to make this, it speeds up the drying stage a lot.
- No sun or not enough time? Dry it in the oven at its lowest setting with the door propped open (3 to 6 hours), or in a food dehydrator at 95 to 115°F/35 to 46°C (8 to 12 hours).
- If you want to speed up fermentation, some traditional methods use a chickpea yeast starter instead of relying on the yogurt alone, though the yogurt-only method here works well and needs no extra prep.
- You can halve this recipe for a smaller batch, or double it for a bigger stash.
- This recipe isn't vegan (it's made with yogurt) or gluten-free (it's made with wheat flour) as written.
- Tarhana is naturally rich in protein and minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and its yogurt fermentation gives it a natural probiotic content too.
- Tarhana varies a lot by Turkish region, some versions use cracked wheat instead of flour, others add broth, cheese, or ground meat. This recipe is the common yogurt, flour, and vegetable version.
Daisy says
I made a smaller amount and used my oven to dry it. So delicious! And full of goodness. Thank your mom for the recipe.
Kinga says
That's so kind of you 🤗
Ayla Clulee says
Thank you so much Kinga!
Paul says
Could you slowly dry this in an oven?
Ayla Clulee says
I haven’t tried drying tarhana in the oven myself, but I’ve heard it can work! Set your oven to 60°C (140°F) and leave the door slightly open to allow for air circulation. Be sure to flip the tarhana frequently, and make the pieces as thin as possible for even drying. I hope this method works well for you. Let me know if you have any further questions, and I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Best wishes
Ayla