Karniyarik is the Turkish version of meat stuffed eggplant.  We make a very similar dish in Sicilian households, but the Turkish version never uses cheese and can often include lamb instead of beef or a combination of the two. Here’s my interpretation of the dish.

Ingredients

·      2 large eggplants

·      Salt

·      Extra virgin olive oil

·      ½ pound ground beef, lamb or a combination of the two

·      2 cloves garlic, chopped

·      ½ white onion, chopped

·      Pinch of red pepper flakes

·      ½ cup chopped tomatoes

·      2 tablespoons tomato paste

·      1 teaspoon oregano

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      Pinch freshly ground pepper

·      1 tomato, sliced (ideally Campari but a small beefsteak will do)

·      ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley  

Directions:

Slice the two eggplant length-wise and salt the insides.  Lay cut side down on a colander or on a baking sheet lined with paper towels for 15 minutes to drain out some of the bitterness.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.  Once eggplants have rested for 15 minutes, rinse off the liquid and pat dry.  Scoop out the insides of the eggplant leaving a one inch border all around. Brush the eggplants all over with olive oil and place on the foil lined baking sheets. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat the bottom of two separate frying pans with olive oil.  Chop the eggplant insides and sauté over low-medium heat in one pan until completely cooked through.  Don’t rush this process or the eggplant will taste horrible and spongey if not cooked through. Stir frequently and add more oil if you need it to prevent sticking.

In the other pan, sauté onions over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the red pepper and garlic for one more minute and then the meat. Stir the meat and add in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, salt, pepper and oregano.  Stir until meat is cooked through and no longer pink.  When the eggplant is also cooked through, add to the meat mixture and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.

When the eggplant shells are ready, fill with the meat mixture.  Add a slice or two of the sliced tomato on each eggplant half and return to the oven to bake. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F and Bake for 30 minutes, making sure the eggplant shells are really cooked through before serving.

Add a few sprinkles of parsley to each half and serve with plain yogurt and a crusty loaf of bread.

Note: Traditional Karniyarik recipes leave the eggplant meat alone and slice lengthwise slits that are later filled with meat.  Instead of baking the shells, it is typical to pan fry them, cut side down, until tender.