Karniyarik (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Ground Beef)

About This Recipe

Karniyarik, literally 'split belly,' is one of Turkey's classic eggplant dishes, in which whole eggplants are fried until soft, slit down the middle, and stuffed with a rich filling of ground beef, onion, tomato and peppers. The eggplant is fried or roasted first specifically to soften its flesh enough that it can hold the filling without collapsing, while also developing a slightly smoky flavor that plain boiling can't achieve. Baked briefly at the end with a few tomato slices on top, the dish arrives bubbling from the oven, the eggplant flesh soft enough to eat with just a fork, its char-tinged skin holding the filling together like a natural vessel.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4medium eggplants
• 1/2 cupvegetable oil(for frying)
• 300 gground beef
• 1onion(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 1green pepper(diced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1/4 cupchopped parsley
• 1tomato(sliced, for topping)
• 1green pepper(sliced, for topping)
• 1 cuphot water or stock(for baking)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the eggplants

   Peel alternating strips of skin from each eggplant (leaving some skin for structure), then fry in hot oil, turning, until soft and golden all over, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Drain and slit

   Drain the fried eggplants on paper towels, then cut a lengthwise slit down the top of each, being careful not to cut all the way through.

3. 3

   Make the filling

   Cook ground beef with onion until browned, then add garlic, diced tomato, diced pepper, tomato paste, paprika, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes until thickened, then stir in parsley.

4. 4

   Stuff the eggplants

   Arrange the eggplants in a baking dish and open the slits, spooning the filling generously into each one.

5. 5

   Top and add liquid

   Lay a tomato slice and pepper slice over the filling in each eggplant, then pour hot water or stock around (not over) the eggplants in the dish.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 200C/400F for 25-30 minutes until the tomato topping is soft and everything is bubbling.

   Basting the eggplants with the pan liquid halfway through keeps them from drying out.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve hot with rice pilaf, spooning some of the pan sauce over the top.

Variations

• •

  A lighter version roasts the eggplants in the oven with a brush of oil instead of frying.

• •

  Vegetarian karniyarik replaces the beef with a mix of mushrooms and extra vegetables.

• •

  Adding pine nuts and currants to the filling gives it a slightly Ottoman, sweet-savory character.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven until warmed through, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently Asked Questions