Carnivore
Description
Those who have dined at good Turkish restaurants surely don't need an introduction to the dish called Karnıyarık. In fact, this dish isn't particularly exotic—something similar with eggplants and minced meat is also prepared in Russia and Ukraine. However, only by strictly following the correct technique and using fresh, appropriate ingredients (for example, the minced meat must be beef, not pork) can you prepare a genuine Karnıyarık—no worse than in the finest Istanbul restaurants.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Add salt to a bowl of water and place the eggplants in it, cut side down. Weigh them down with something (like a plate) so they are submerged in the water. Soak the eggplants for 30 minutes to remove their bitterness.
- 2
Step 2
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the ground beef. Cook until pink (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly and breaking the meat into small pieces. Then add the finely chopped onion and cook for another 4 minutes until the onion is soft.
- 3
Step 3
Slice the tomatoes into rounds. Set aside four slices for garnish, and roughly chop the rest, adding them to the pan with the minced meat. Then add tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- 4
Step 4
Add the herbs and remove from heat.
- 5
Step 5
Remove the eggplants from the water, thoroughly rinse off the salt, and dry. Lightly salt and pepper.
- 6
Step 6
In a large skillet, heat the oil and place the eggplants cut-side down. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
- 7
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Use a teaspoon to remove some of the flesh from the eggplant halves to create little boats.
- 8
Step 8
Fill the eggplants with the stuffing, place a piece of chili pepper and a tomato slice on top. Put in a preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. The dish is ready!