Karnıyarık: Turkish Stuffed Eggplant
Karnıyarık is a traditional Turkish stuffed eggplant dish. It's absolutely delicious and a must-try Turkish recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 5 medium-sized eggplants
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 2 green bell peppers finely diced
- 12 oz ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tbsp pepper paste
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes diced small
- 1 medium tomato cut into 5 pieces
- 2-3 green chili peppers cut into large chunks
Instructions
Prepare the Filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Then, add the diced green bell peppers and continue to sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and minced garlic and cook until the meat browns all over evenly and the moisture evaporates.
- Stir in the tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, and black pepper. Add the diced tomatoes, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Prepare the Eggplants:
- Peel the eggplants, leaving alternating strips of skin, giving them a striped appearance, and leaving the stem intact.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and fry the eggplants until they're lightly browned on all sides. Place them in an ovenproof dish.
Assemble the Karniyarik:
- Make a lengthwise slit in the middle of each eggplant, being careful not to cut through the bottom, to create a pocket.
- Stuff the eggplants generously with the ground beef filling.
- Place a tomato and green chili pepper slices on top of each stuffed eggplant.
Bake the Karniyarik:
- Bake the stuffed eggplants in a preheated oven at 175°C (340°F) for 25-30 minutes.
- Serve the hot Karniyarik with optional Turkish rice pilaf or Turkish cacik on the side.
Notes
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