Adana-Style Lamb Skewers
Hand-chopped lamb and tail fat grilled on flat skewers, with warm flatbread, charred vegetables and sumac onions.
The Turkish pantry
Pepper (red, ground)
Red pepper powder comes in sweet, hot and smoked forms, each distinct from pepper flakes.
Last updated:
Dried red pepper ground to powder. Sweet, hot and smoked products are different choices; powder is not pul biber flakes.
Types & forms
Sweet powder
Pepper flavor and color with less heat; confirm the label.
Hot powder
Choose the heat level the recipe needs.
Smoked · comparison
Adds a distinct flavor.
What to look for when buying
- Check sweet or hot, smoked or unsmoked, and added salt.
- Buy a sealed pack with a clear ingredient list.
Prepare & cook
- Measure before adding to the meat mixture for even distribution.
- Do not assume a spoon of cayenne equals a spoon of mild paprika in heat.
Store it well
- Keep tightly closed, dry and away from heat and light.
- Use a clean dry spoon; discard moisture-damaged spice.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Mild paprika
A plain unsmoked product can supply mild red-pepper flavor; brands still differ.
Flakes
Change texture and distribution rather than reproducing powder.
Nutrition
Paprika, dried ground spice [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 282 kcal |
| Protein | 14.1 g |
| Total fat | 12.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.14 g |
| Carbohydrate | 54 g |
| Dietary fiber | 34.9 g |
| Total sugars | 10.3 g |
| Sodium | 68 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 229 mg |
| Iron | 21.1 mg |
| Potassium | 2,280 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Plain paprika reference, not a separate analysis of every hot, sweet or smoked pepper powder. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Our Adana-style home skewers use red pepper powder in the meat mixture.
Cook with Pepper (red, ground)
Baked Lentil Dumplings (Home Version)
Small, closed lentil dumplings baked first until golden, then finished in hot water. Serve with garlic yogurt and red-pepper butter, with extra yogurt and herbs on the side.
Beef and Chickpea Rice
Layers of shredded beef, caramelized onion, rice and chickpeas, cooked in broth and turned onto a platter.
Lentil and Noodle Soup with Tarragon
An Erzurum household soup of whole green lentils, hand-cut egg noodles and small beef meatballs, finished with onion and tarragon butter.
Lentil and Rice Soup
Red lentils and rice simmer together, finished with onion, tomato paste and cumin.
Milk and Rice Soup
Rice simmered in milk, thickened with an egg-yolk mixture and finished with red-pepper butter.
Smooth Green Lentil Soup
A smooth green lentil soup. Dried green lentils are simmered with onion and carrot, then puréed and strained. The soup is thickened with butter, oil and toasted flour, then loosened with chicken stock. It is finished with butter warmed with paprika, mint and red pepper flakes.