Karnıyarık (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)

Method

1. Leave the stalks on and peel the eggplants lengthwise in stripes, leaving 1.5 cm bands of skin. Put them in a bowl of water with part of the salt, weigh them down with a plate and soak for 20 min; this draws out bitterness and stops them soaking up so much oil. Drain and dry them completely; any water left on them makes the oil spit violently.

   Add in this stepEggplants (medium, about 250 g each) 2Salt 0.4 tsp

2. Pour oil 1.5 cm deep into a 24 cm frying pan and heat on medium-high heat to 170 °C (a wooden chopstick dipped in should fizz steadily). Lower in the eggplants carefully and fry for 8 min, turning, until browned all over and soft when pressed. Fry in batches if the pan is crowded and drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 °C.

   Add in this stepOil for frying (sunflower or similar) 250 ml

   medium-high heat

3. In another 24 cm pan, heat the filling oil and cook the finely chopped onion on medium heat for 5 min until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and beef, turn up to medium-high heat and cook for 6 min, breaking the meat up with a spatula until no pink remains.

   Add in this stepOil for the filling 1 tbspOnion 1Garlic cloves 2Minced beef 200 g

   medium heat→medium-high heat

4. Finely chop half the peppers and grate or finely chop half the tomatoes. Add them to the meat with half the tomato paste, the rest of the salt, black pepper and pul biber, and cook on medium heat for 3 min until most of the liquid has gone. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

   Add in this stepLong mild green peppers (or green bell pepper) 1Tomatoes 1Tomato paste 1 tspSalt 0.6 tspBlack pepper ¼ tspPul biber / Aleppo pepper ½ tspFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp

   medium heat

5. Lay the fried eggplants side by side in a 25×18 cm baking dish. Slit each one lengthwise from stalk to tip without cutting through the bottom, and open the slit with a spoon to make a pocket. Pack in the filling, then top with slices of the remaining tomatoes and halves of the remaining peppers.

   Add in this stepTomatoes 1Long mild green peppers (or green bell pepper) 1

6. Dissolve the rest of the tomato paste in the hot water and pour it around the eggplants. Bake in the oven, heated to 180 °C (oven), for 25 min, until the tomato and pepper on top are lightly charred and the sauce has reduced. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with rice pilaf and yogurt.

   Add in this stepTomato paste 1 tspHot water 150 ml

   oven