Stuffed Aubergine
Karniyarık
‘split belly aubergine’ an old ottoman dish that became a home cooking favourite. Every Turk’s mama makes the best!!
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 aubergines (one per person) peeled ‘zebra’ style (peel 4, 2cm vertical stripes of the skin off leaving some skin at the bottom)
Filling:
4 tomatoes cut into cubes.
2 Turkish spicy green peppers *1 chopped finely
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
250g mixture of lamb and beef mince
1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tbsp red pepper flakes *2
½ tbsp tomato and/or bell pepper paste
Decoration:
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1 Turkish spicy green pepper (or normal green pepper) de-seeded and sliced
Sauce:
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp red pepper flakes *2
2 cups of warm water
1 fresh tomato cubed
Method:
Place the half-peeled aubergines on a baking tray, brush them with little olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt. Place in a pre-heated over at 180C leave for 20 mins and remove when soft to the touch, turn the aubergines if necessary.
Sauté the onion, garlic and peppers in oil add the minced meat and cook for 5 mins. Add the red pepper flakes, red tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. One minute later add the tomato cubes. Cover and leave on a low simmer for 15-20 mins until all the liquid has evaporated. Slit the aubergines from top to bottom. Spoon the filling into the aubergines and lightly press down. Decorate each aubergine with tomato and green pepper strips.
Heat some oil in the pan add the garlic, stir in the red pepper flakes, tomato paste and fresh tomatoes. Add the warm water and some salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5 mins. Pour the mixture over the aubergines place back into the oven and cook for 5-10 mins.
Serve with split bulgur wheat or boiled rice and a tomato and onion salad.
*1 Elongated green peppers that look like oversized chilli peppers, if unavailable substitute with one small green chilli and one conventional green pepper.
*2 Turkish red pepper flakes are less spicy than chilli flakes. If substituting with chilli use half the amount.