Baked eggplant halves stuffed with ground beef, tomato and peppers, in the style of karnıyarık.
Karnıyarık, literally "split belly," is one of Turkey's most iconic eggplant dishes — fried or roasted eggplant halves split open and filled with a savory ground meat and tomato mixture, then baked until everything melds together. This casserole version takes that same beloved combination and bakes multiple eggplant halves together in one dish, making it easier to cook for a family without frying each piece individually.\n\nThe technique that makes karnıyarık work is roasting the eggplant first until it's fully soft and slightly collapsed, which lets you split it open without tearing and gives it a base sweetness that balances the savory meat filling. The filling itself is built the way most Turkish meat sauces are — onion and pepper cooked down first, then meat browned hard, then tomato paste and fresh tomato simmered until thick — before it's spooned generously into the split eggplants and baked just long enough for the top to blister.\n\nServe with rice pilaf and a simple yogurt or cacık on the side — this is classic Turkish home cooking, not a fussy restaurant dish.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Score the flesh of each eggplant half in a crosshatch pattern, brush generously with olive oil, and roast cut-side up 25-30 minutes until fully soft.
While the eggplant roasts, heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and diced pepper and cook 5 minutes, then add beef and cook until browned, about 7 minutes.
Add garlic, diced tomato, tomato paste, cumin and black pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes until thickened and no longer watery.
Cook the filling until it's noticeably thick before stuffing — a wet filling will make the casserole soupy instead of holding its shape when baked.
Once the eggplants are soft, use a spoon to gently press down the center of each half, creating a pocket. Fill generously with the beef mixture.
Arrange a slice of tomato and pepper on top of each stuffed eggplant. Pour hot water into the bottom of the dish and bake 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly blistered.
Let rest 5 minutes, then scatter with parsley and serve warm.
Score the eggplant flesh before roasting so the oil and heat penetrate evenly and it cooks through fully in the time given.
Cook the meat filling until it's thick and mostly dry — any excess liquid will pool under the eggplant and make the dish watery.
Use Italian or Japanese eggplants if regular globe eggplants aren't available; just adjust roasting time down slightly since they're thinner.
Use ground lamb instead of beef for a richer, more traditional flavor found in many regional versions.
Make it vegetarian by swapping the beef for a mix of mushrooms and lentils, keeping the same tomato-pepper base.
Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper to the filling for background heat.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.
Karnıyarık is a classic of Turkish home cooking, particularly associated with Ottoman-era Istanbul cuisine, and remains one of the most commonly requested eggplant dishes in Turkish restaurants abroad. Its name, meaning "split belly," refers directly to the way the roasted eggplant is opened to hold the meat filling.
No — roasting is a lighter, easier alternative to the traditional shallow-frying and works well for a casserole-style bake, though frying does give a slightly richer flavor if you prefer the classic method.
That usually means it was roasted too long or was very ripe and soft to begin with; check smaller eggplants a few minutes early and handle them gently once out of the oven.
Yes — roast the eggplant and make the filling up to a day ahead, then stuff and do the final bake just before serving so the tops stay freshly blistered.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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