Karniyarik – stuffed eggplants

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g lean minced beef
• 2 large eggplants
• 1 can of tomatoes, peeled (400 g)
• 3 bell pepper(s), red
• 6 Pepper, mild, green
• 2 chili peppers, hot, red
• 1 large onion(s)
• 4 cloves garlic, (or more)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch of parsley
• ¼ liter of water
• salt and pepper
• 8 m.-sized potatoes

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

a low-fat Turkish-style recipe

Halve the eggplants and score them lengthwise a few times on the cut side (do not cut through!). Bake cut-side up on the oven rack at 180°C fan-assisted air until soft and browned (approx. 30-40 minutes). This method saves a lot of fat! In the meantime, peel and halve the potatoes, and cook them in salted water until half done. During the same time, prepare the filling. Brown the minced meat in oil, add the onion, garlic, diced bell peppers, and finely chopped chili peppers, and sauté gently. Then deglaze with the canned tomatoes and a little water if desired. Add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well and simmer in a covered pan for about 15 minutes. Finally, stir in the finely chopped parsley and season again to taste. Place the soft eggplant halves in a baking dish and press in the center. The lengthwise slits make this very easy. Spread the filling over the eggplants. It’s okay if some crumbles over. Now fill the casserole dish with about 1 cm of water and arrange the half-cooked potato halves around the eggplants. Place the dish in the oven, still at 180°C. Let the dish sit there until the filling and potatoes are lightly browned, which takes about 30 minutes. You can increase or decrease the chili and garlic depending on your taste. We like it spicy and with lots of garlic!