Stuffed eggplants Turkish style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 small eggplants
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ kg minced beef
• 1 large can of tomatoes (800 g)
• 250 g sheep’s cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp mint, dried
• 2 chili peppers, dried, crumbled
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Wash the eggplants, cut them lengthwise, and scrape out the inner flesh. Then soak them in salted water for 30 minutes to remove the bitterness. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and set aside. Pat the eggplants dry with kitchen paper and fry in plenty of olive oil until al dente on both sides. Let them cool on kitchen paper. Sauté the onions in a pan with a little olive oil. Crumble in the chili peppers and increase the heat. Add the garlic and deglaze with the tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes, add salt, pepper, turmeric, half the mint, and the tomato paste, and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the minced meat in olive oil until crispy. Cut the scraped eggplant flesh into small cubes and add them. Reduce the heat and add a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce to thicken it. Finally, stir in the parsley. Pour the tomato sauce and the remaining mint into a baking dish, add the eggplants, fill with the minced meat, and sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 175°C (350°F). I recommend basmati rice and Turkish yogurt with mint as a side dish.