Split-belly aubergines stuffed with seasoned ground lamb, tomato, and green pepper, baked until the filling is rich and the aubergine silky.
Karnıyarık — 'split belly' — is the meat-filled cousin of İmam bayıldı and one of Turkey's most beloved home-cooked dishes. Whole aubergines are fried until golden, then split lengthwise and filled with a richly seasoned mixture of ground lamb, onion, tomato, and green pepper. Tomato slices top each stuffed aubergine before everything is baked together in tomato sauce until the aubergine is completely tender and the filling deeply fragrant. Unlike its vegetarian sibling, karnıyarık is a hearty, satisfying main course that exemplifies the Turkish art of combining aubergine with meat — a pairing that has defined Anatolian cooking for centuries.
Serves 4
Peel in stripes, salt generously, and leave 20 minutes. Rinse, pat dry. Fry in hot oil, turning, until golden on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish. Make a deep lengthwise slit in each.
Fry onion in a little oil until golden. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add lamb and cook until browned. Add diced peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato purée, red pepper flakes, salt, and parsley. Cook 10 minutes until thick.
Gently open the slit in each aubergine and pack with lamb filling. Top with tomato and green pepper slices. Pour 200 ml water around the aubergines.
Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes to colour the tops.
The aubergines should be completely collapsed and silky — if still firm, bake longer.
Serve hot with plain rice or yogurt alongside.
Don't skimp on the frying oil for the aubergines — they need it to become silky.
Add a pinch of allspice to the lamb filling for classic Anatolian depth.
If the sauce seems dry during baking, add another 100 ml water.
Use a mix of lamb and beef for the filling.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Make mini versions with Japanese aubergines for an elegant starter.
Refrigerates for 3 days. Reheats beautifully in a covered pan or oven.
Karnıyarık is a classic of Turkish ev yemekleri (home cooking), served in meyhanes (taverns) and family tables throughout Turkey. The dish showcases the Turkish mastery of aubergine cookery — Turkey consumes more aubergine per capita than almost any other country — and the combination of spiced lamb filling in a silky aubergine casing is one of the most satisfying in the Turkish repertoire.
İmam bayıldı is vegetarian (filled with onions, tomato, and garlic) and served at room temperature. Karnıyarık includes ground meat in the filling and is served hot.
The initial frying is important for flavour and texture — it caramelises the exterior and gives the aubergine a richness that oven-roasting doesn't quite replicate. You can brush with oil and roast instead for a lighter version.
Per serving · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes