Description

Karniyarik – Meat Stuffed Eggplants

These stuffed eggplants, also called Karniyarik, are a classic Middle Eastern Turkish dish featuring tender fried eggplants stuffed with savory, seasoned ground beef, topped with a rich tomato sauce, and it’s baked to perfection. It’s a perfect choice for a cozy family dinner or an impressive dish to serve at your next dinner party.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb Ground beef 85% lean
15 Medium-sized eggplants
2 Onions – chopped
Vegetable Oil – for frying
4 cloves Garlic – chopped
1 Green Anaheim Chili Pepper
8 oz Tomato sauce
1/2 cup Water
2 teaspoons Coriander
2 teaspoons Paprika
2 teaspoons Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Allspice
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

Tomato Sauce

1 Fresh tomato
16 oz Tomato Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Water

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Instructions

First, wash the eggplants and dry them with a towel. Then, peel the skin of the eggplants into strips, alternating every other strip. Next, sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for 25 minutes (some prefer to place the eggplants in a bowl of salted water; however, I do not). After 25 minutes, thoroughly pat the eggplants dry. In the meantime, begin chopping your onions, garlic, and herbs. Separately, grate one tomato into a dish and set it aside. Additionally, if you plan on serving this meal with rice, now is a good time to start cooking it.
To begin, pour oil into a large skillet and set the heat to high. Once the oil is hot, carefully fry the eggplants evenly on both sides until they are slightly softened and lightly browned. (Note: Be cautious, as eggplants can release water, causing the oil to splatter.) After frying, transfer the eggplants to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil, and set them aside to cool. Meanwhile, as the eggplants are frying, start chopping your onions, garlic, and herbs.
In a medium-sized skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent. Next, add the ground beef and make sure to break it up into small pieces. Let it cook for a few minutes without mixing, this will allow it to brown on one side before stirring. Sauté until the beef is lightly browned. Add in your seasonings, green pepper, give it a toss, and fry for one minute. Then add tomato sauce, water, fresh garlic, and chopped cilantro.
In a small saucepan, place tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, water, and simmer for 2 minutes on medium heat, and set aside. Next, use a knife to create a slit on the belly of your eggplant but not all the way through and place them into a large baking pan of your choice (we used a round baking tin). Fill your eggplants with a large heaping portion of your meat mixture, using about 4 heaping tablespoons per eggplant. Then, arrange the filled eggplants in a pattern of your choice in your desired baking pan. After that, evenly pour the tomato sauce over them. Finally, place the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Lastly, as it’s baking, place the rice into a small bowl, pack it firmly, then turn the bowl upside down, lift it, and remove it. This will create a round, domed rice bowl in the center of your platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro on top and enjoy!

Notes

Calories are not included in the serving.

*** Our Nutrition information is estimated, so please make sure to check your own calculations to fit your diet.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Fried / Baked
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Keywords: eggplant recipe, stuffed eggplants, how to make stuffed eggplants, karniyarik, turkish dish, split belly recipe, split belly eggplant recipe