Çılbır recipe: Turkish poached eggs with garlic yoghurt and chilli butter
Çılbır (say it ‘chil-bur’) is one of those dishes that sounds odd on paper and makes complete sense on the plate. Soft poached eggs sit on a bed of cool, garlicky yoghurt, and the whole thing is finished with butter sizzled with pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes) until it turns brick red. Mop it up with bread and the hot yolk, cold yoghurt and spiced butter run together.
The dish has deep roots in Turkish cooking: there are records of Ottoman sultans eating çılbır as far back as the fifteenth century, long before ‘Turkish eggs’ became a fixture on London brunch menus. It needs five ingredients and about 20 minutes, and the only real skill is a good poached egg.
What is çılbır?
Çılbır is a breakfast and brunch dish served all over Turkey, usually in a shallow bowl with bread on the side. It is simple home food, though you will also find it on the menus of breakfast cafés and lokantas (traditional canteens) in Istanbul.
Classic and modern versions
The classic is just eggs, yoghurt, garlic, butter and chilli, sometimes with a pinch of dried mint in the butter. Modern cafés add fresh dill, a drizzle of olive oil, sumac or crispy sage. Some home cooks fry the eggs instead of poaching them, which is quicker and nearly as good. A close cousin is yoghurt with fried aubergine or courgette, finished with the same red butter.
Why it works
The contrast of temperatures is the point. Take the yoghurt out of the fridge early so it is cool rather than cold, and make sure the butter is hot when it goes on, so it sizzles against the yoghurt.
Ingredients
Serves 2.
For the garlic yoghurt
- 250g thick strained yoghurt (süzme yoğurt) or Greek yoghurt, at room temperature
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- A pinch of salt
For the eggs
- 4 very fresh medium eggs
- 1 litre water
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
For the chilli butter
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo-style chilli flakes)
- ½ tsp sweet paprika (optional, for colour)
- A pinch of dried mint
To serve
- 1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley
- Crusty bread or toasted simit
How to make çılbır
1. Make the garlic yoghurt
Stir the garlic and salt into the yoghurt. If it is very thick, loosen it with 1–2 tbsp warm water until spoonable. Spread it into two shallow bowls and leave at room temperature while you cook the eggs.
2. Poach the eggs
Bring the water and vinegar to a bare simmer in a wide saucepan, with small bubbles just rising. Crack each egg into a small cup. Stir the water gently to create a slow swirl and slide in the eggs one or two at a time. Cook for 3 minutes for a runny yolk, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
3. Make the chilli butter
While the eggs cook, melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. When it foams, add the pul biber, paprika and mint, swirl for 20–30 seconds until the butter turns red and smells toasty, then take off the heat before the chilli burns.
4. Assemble and serve
Set two eggs on each bowl of yoghurt, spoon over the hot butter, scatter with dill and serve straight away with plenty of bread.
Watch: how to make çılbır
This video from Refika Birgül, the Istanbul-born food writer and television presenter, is a good watch for the poaching and the butter, both of which come down to timing.
Tips for the best çılbır
- Use the freshest eggs you can find. Fresh whites hold together; older ones spread into wisps. If you are serving anyone pregnant, elderly or very young, use British Lion eggs for runny yolks.
- Take the yoghurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Fridge-cold yoghurt chills the eggs too quickly.
- Go easy on the garlic: one small clove is enough to flavour the yoghurt without overpowering the eggs.
- Pull the butter off the heat as soon as it turns red. Burnt pul biber tastes bitter.
- Poaching for a crowd? Poach the eggs ahead, keep them in iced water and reheat for 1 minute in barely simmering water.
- Have the bread ready before the eggs go in. Çılbır waits for no one, and a toasted slice of sourdough or a warm simit is half the pleasure.
What to serve with çılbır
Çılbır makes a breakfast on its own with bread, but for a full Turkish spread add a plate of sigara böreği, olives, cheese and sliced tomatoes, or serve it alongside menemen for a two-egg-dish brunch. Finish with a small cup of Turkish coffee.
Where to eat çılbır in London
Çılbır is a regular on Turkish breakfast menus across London, from neighbourhood cafés to all-day brunch spots. Browse our Turkish breakfast listings or read our guide to Turkish brunch in London.
- Stone Cave – Turkish meze & fine dining in Dalston & Stoke Newington
- Simit Sarayı Harringay – Turkish bakery & börek in Harringay & Green Lanes
- Pitted Olive – Turkish bakery & börek in Bloomsbury & Holborn
- Gökyüzü Green Lanes – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Harringay & Green Lanes
- Med Bistro Restaurant – Turkish meze & fine dining in Dalston & Stoke Newington
- Capital Restaurant Edmonton – Turkish breakfast in Edmonton
See all 50 Turkish Breakfast places in London
Çılbır FAQs
What does çılbır mean?
Çılbır is the Turkish name for the dish of poached eggs on yoghurt. In English it is often sold as Turkish eggs.
Can I fry the eggs instead of poaching them?
Yes. Many Turkish home cooks fry the eggs in butter until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. It is quicker and works just as well with the yoghurt.
What can I use instead of pul biber?
Mix ½ tsp sweet paprika with a small pinch of chilli flakes or cayenne. You lose a little of pul biber’s fruity, mild warmth but keep the colour and heat.
Should the yoghurt be warm or cold?
Cool room temperature is best. Some cooks warm it gently over a bowl of hot water, but do not heat it directly or it may split.
Photo: Premshree Pillai from Brooklyn, NY, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
