Karnıyarık

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220°C. Peel the eggplants in alternating strips to create a striped pattern, leaving some skin on so they hold their shape. Cut a deep lengthwise slit in each eggplant without slicing all the way through. Rub all over and lightly inside the slits with the salt, then leave for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling; this seasons them and helps draw out a little bitterness.

2. 2

   Heat 15 ml olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Add the ground beef and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up well, until no longer pink and any released liquid has mostly evaporated. Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes more until the mixture is thick rather than watery; the filling should mound on a spoon. Remove from the heat and fold in the chopped parsley.

4. 4

   Pat the eggplants dry with paper towel. In the same pan, heat 35 ml olive oil over medium heat and fry the eggplants for 6-8 minutes total, turning carefully, until lightly browned and beginning to soften. They do not need to be fully tender at this stage. Transfer to a small baking dish.

5. 5

   Using the back of a spoon, gently open the slits in the eggplants to make room for the filling. Divide the beef mixture evenly between them, pressing it in generously so it sits slightly heaped on top.

6. 6

   Make the baking sauce by mixing the grated tomato, sliced garlic, hot water, tomato paste, olive oil, and salt in a bowl until the paste dissolves. Pour the sauce around, not over, the stuffed eggplants so the tops stay exposed and roast nicely.

7. 7

   Bake for 18-20 minutes until the eggplants are completely tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Rest for 3 minutes before serving so the filling settles and the eggplants hold together better.

8. 8

   Spoon some of the tomato sauce from the dish around the eggplants, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve hot. Rice pilaf and plain yogurt are classic accompaniments.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Choose slender, small eggplants so they soften quickly and fit the 45-minute schedule.
• •If your tomatoes are very juicy, cook the filling an extra minute or two so it does not become loose inside the eggplants.
• •Traditional versions often use frying for the eggplants before baking; this recipe keeps that classic character while controlling the oil and time.
• •A small baking dish helps keep the sauce around the eggplants and prevents it from evaporating too quickly.

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