Karnıyarık — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Fried whole eggplants split open and filled with a savory spiced lamb and tomato mixture, baked until the eggplant melts and the filling caramelizes.

Ingredients

1 Peel eggplants in alternating strips, fry in hot oil until golden on all sides, then drain on paper towels and set them aside.
2 Sauté onion in two tablespoons oil until translucent, add ground lamb, and cook breaking it apart until browned and crumbly.
3 Add garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, allspice, salt, and pepper to the lamb, cooking five minutes until the sauce thickens.
4 Place fried eggplants in a baking dish, cut a deep lengthwise slit in each, and gently open the halves to create a pocket.
5 Stuff each eggplant generously with the lamb mixture, top with sliced green peppers and a tomato wedge for presentation.
6 Add half a cup of hot water to the dish, bake at 180 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes until bubbling and beautifully tender.

Did You Know?

The name karnıyarık literally means split belly, vividly describing the sliced-open eggplant that cradles its flavorful meat filling.