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Turkish eggs served in a blue bowl with spicy butter sauce and chopped fresh dill on a dark background.
5 from 8 votes

Çılbır (Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt)

By Zerrin & Yusuf
Çılbır is a traditional Turkish breakfast dish made with poached eggs served over creamy garlic yogurt and topped with warm, buttery red pepper sauce. Perfect for dipping crusty bread!
Yields: 2 servings
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PREP 5 minutes
COOK 3 minutes
TOTAL 8 minutes

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INGREDIENTS
 

Yogurt Bed:

  • 1 cup (9 oz) plain yogurt, at room temperature
  • 1 clove garlic, mashed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, optional

Poached Eggs:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, light coloured or lemon juice

Spiced Butter Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, pul biber, Aleppo or crushed dried chilli
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, pul biber

INSTRUCTIONS
 

Yogurt Bed:

  • Mix together the yogurt, mashed garlic and salt. Optionally add in chopped fresh dill and put it aside.

Poached Eggs:

  • Put a finemesh strainer over a bowl. Crack one egg into it. Swirl it gently so that the watery part of egg white drips into the bowl below. This step is to prevent the whites from dispersing in the water and you will have better looking poached eggs. Repeat this for the second egg and gently transfer the eggs into two separate small bowls or ramekins. Put them aside.
  • Fill a medium saucepan with water. When the water is just about to simmer and you see small bubbles in the water, add in vinegar. Gently slide the eggs in small bowls one by one in the water. Reduce the heat and don’t let the water boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the whites are set and yolks are runny. 
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs from the water and place them on a plate.

Spiced Butter Sauce:

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it is foamy. Add in olive oil, pul biber (red pepper flakes) and paprika. Give it a stir and let them heat for 5-10 seconds. Remove from the heat. 

Serving:

  • Put the yogurt mixture in two bowls (for 2 servings).
  • Place one poached egg on each. 
  • Pour a generous amount of spiced butter sauce over these. 
  • Sprinkle chopped fresh dill and pul biber (red pepper flakes). Serve immediately with some toasted bread.

NOTES

  1. For more than two eggs, either use a large pot or preferably, poach them in two or three batches.
  2. If you are planning to use more than two eggs, use the finemesh strainer method explained above for each of them and put each egg into a separate bowl and put them aside. 
  3. Don’t add salt to the poaching water or on eggs when they are in water. This will make the egg whites disperse in the water.
  4. We use a light-colored vinegar to prevent egg whites from dispersing a lot in the water when poaching. You don’t feel the taste, so don’t worry.
  5. If you want, you can cut off the unwanted parts of egg whites before placing them on yogurt. 
  6. When making the spiced butter sauce, be careful not to burn it. After the butter melts, immediately add in olive oil and the peppers. The sauce is ready after 5-10 seconds.

NUTRITION

Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 10gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 816mgPotassium: 315mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1677IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 188mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Breakfast
Cuisine Turkish
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