Karnıyarık

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 mediumaubergines
• 350 gground lamb
• 1 largeonion(finely diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2green peppers(1 diced for filling, 1 sliced for top)
• 3 mediumtomatoes(2 diced, 1 sliced for top)
• 1 tbsptomato purée
• 1 tspred pepper flakes
• ½ bunchflat-leaf parsley(chopped)
• 100 mlvegetable oil(for frying)
• Salt and pepper(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare aubergines

   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.

2. 2

   Cook the filling

   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.

3. 3

   Stuff the aubergines

   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.

4. 4

   Bake

   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.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot with plain rice or yogurt alongside.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

Refrigerates for 3 days. Reheats beautifully in a covered pan or oven.

Frequently Asked Questions