A recipe from a dervish tradition

A long-time follower of Mevlana Rumi’s philosophical writings, and of the poetry and music associated with the turning ceremony of the Mevlevi dervishes, Richard Stevens was given this recipe for Lokma pilav 25 years ago This simple dish involving chickpeas is perhaps a testament to Mevlana’s asceticism. It was prepared and served on special days in the tekkes – the lodges of the Mevlevi order that were widespread in the Ottoman empire. The order was founded by Mevlana’s son, Sultan Veled, after his father’s death in 1273. Mevlana’s main work, the Mesnevi, is a passionate outpouring of his mystical love of God. Food and cooking are much mentioned in his works. In a well-known story about the preparation of chickpeas, the cooking process is symbolic of man’s gradual submission on the spiritual path. continue