Karnıyarık (Turkish Beef-Stuffed Eggplants) with Buttered Rice

Photo: E4024 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

The 'split belly' eggplant: whole eggplants fried until silky, slit open and packed with ground beef, peppers, tomato and parsley, then baked in a tomato broth. Serve with buttery rice and cold yogurt.

Ingredients

• 4 small Italian eggplants (about 2½ lb)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 long green chile or jalapeño, sliced
• 1½ cups long-grain rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup plain yogurt, to serve

From your pantry: ½ cup neutral oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, salt, pepper.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel the eggplants in alternating stripes, salt them and let sit 15 minutes, then pat dry.
2. Fry the eggplants in the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning, until browned all over and soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off the oil, add the olive oil and cook the onion 3 minutes. Add the beef and brown, breaking it up, 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste and the spices for 1 minute, then the grated tomatoes; simmer 5 minutes. Season and stir in the parsley.
4. Set the eggplants in a baking dish, slit each lengthwise down the middle without cutting through, and open the pocket with a spoon. Fill with the beef and top with a chile slice.
5. Whisk the remaining tomato paste into ¾ cup hot water with a pinch of salt and pour it around the eggplants. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 more until bubbling.
6. Meanwhile, toast the rice in the butter for 2 minutes, add 2¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt, cover and simmer 15 minutes, then rest 10. Serve the eggplants with rice and yogurt.

Tip: Slender Italian or Japanese eggplants turn creamy and hold their shape; a big globe eggplant can be halved lengthwise instead. Roast them at 425°F, brushed with oil, if you'd rather not fry.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from This Healthy Table.

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