Serve Fried Eggs Over This Creamy Ingredient For A High-Protein, Turkish-Style Breakfast

In Turkey, a breakfast egg is not always what you'd expect. Most often, you get çılbır, a Turkish dish in which poached eggs are laid atop a bed of garlicky Greek yogurt. Serve your fried eggs the same way, with Greek yogurt as the high-protein highlight, and you will have a new favorite way to start the day.

Adapting the çılbır twist to fried eggs, the way to make this dish is very simple. First mix strained Greek yogurt with finely grated garlic, then make some spiced butter, which is another alluring feature of this dish. Softened butter is melted and laced with Aleppo pepper — Turkish sun-dried chili flakes made from Halaby peppers. If you don't have Aleppo peppers, just use a 4-to-1 mix of sweet paprika and cayenne pepper instead, but be mindful of the spice levels when you're substituting Aleppo pepper as they hold a milder chile hit than other peppers. Once you're done frying the eggs, serve them over the Greek yogurt, drizzle the spiced butter on top, and complete the plate with a pinch of fresh herbs or spices.

People love çılbır because it delivers full-powered flavors from the simplest ingredients, not to mention a good deal of protein from both the eggs and the Greek yogurt. The tangy, creamy yogurt takes on a garlicky edge, setting an enticing undertone for the entire dish. Using fried eggs, you will also get crisp edges contrasting that creamy-soft backdrop, while a slightly runny yolk will meld right into the yogurt. When the spiced butter arrives, it brings along a sweet heat, cutting through that rich base and nuanced with a delectable nutty depth.

Making a çılbır-inspired breakfast at home, customize the dish as desired. A few fried sage leaves will give it an earthy, nutty aroma. Going in another herby direction, consider drizzling one of your favorite green sauces over the eggs, perhaps including chili peppers in the blend to enhance the heat level. An oil laced with fresh herbs, such as parsley, will also be great for a gentler, more subtle complexity. The herby brightness can be matched with lemon juice for an even more vibrant version of çılbır.

You could also mix crushed fennel seeds into the yogurt for a piney warmth, which will be even better when paired with aromatics such as shallots and fresh herbs. As for the spiced butter, even with the Aleppo flakes' gentle heat, you can take it up a smoky notch with half a teaspoon of paprika. Ground sumac, on the other hand, is wonderful for anyone who likes a citric brightness.

Did you know you can also add more protein to çılbır? Deep-fried chicken skin works surprisingly well in this dish, offering not only a savory warmth but also crispiness that stands out against the plush, creamy base. For breakfast, sausage is always a good idea, and you can even use sujuk — a type of Turkish sausage that adds bold flavors without taking over. On the side, other than toasted bread, try Turkish bagels, which come with nutty hints of toasted sesame seeds, or pita bread for its thickly chewy bite.