Mar
12
2009
Turkish: Eksili Patlican
On the west coast of Turkey, we like to eat vegetables. Eggplant dishes are delicious ones we usually have during the hut summer days. My mum likes to prepare it with lemon or pomegranate molasses, so I do as well though I love eggplant dishes in every form.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
4 medium size eggplants, stem removed, peeled in occasional vertical stripes, and cut into edible chunks
2 medium onions, thinly sliced in half moons
4-5 tomatoes, diced
5-6 cloves or garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
½ dl olive oil
½ bunch parsley, chopped
Directions:
- Place eggplant chunks in salted cold water for half an hour.
- Drain eggplants and squeeze them to remove excessive water.
- Mix eggplants with other ingredients in a pot (save half of the parsley).
- Cover and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes, until eggplants are cooked (no water is necessary).
- Sprinkle rest of the parsley and serve hot or cold.
Sour eggplant stew is even better the next day. Enjoy!
A.
COMMENT(s) HERE! | tags: eggplant, veggie | posted in Recipes, Stews, Vegetable Dishes
Mar
3
2009
Turkish: Karniyarik
Karniyarik (literally “split belly”) is one of the most notable Turkish dishes. It consists of an eggplant stuffed with onions, garlic, tomatoes and mincemeat. Another variant is Imam bayildi which doesn’t include meat, and served cold. It is widely made and dearly loved almost in every part of Turkey.
Karniyarik is not a light dish, but it is absolutely fantastic and if you haven’t had karniyarik before, it will change your ideas on eggplant dishes.
There are a couple things to be careful about when you’re cooking with eggplants. Buy eggplants right before you cook and pick the firmer ones; eggplants tend to get soft in the refrigerator. And for this dish, do not use huge eggplants. Try to find cute little ones.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
½ kg eggplant, peeled in stripes lengthwise
½ kg ground meat
2 onions, cubed
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 tomato, petite diced (for the stuffing)
1 tomato, sliced (for the top)
Green peppers, chopped (I didn’t use this time)
Ground pepper
Salt
2 tbs olive oil
Frying oil
2 dl hot water
Directions:
- Peel eggplants leaving lengthwise stripes and then put them in salty water for 10 minutes. Dry them well and fry them as a whole in a deep pot with canola or corn or vegetable oil, whichever you’re comfortable with. (Make sure oil is really hot before you place eggplants, otherwise eggplants will soak tons of oil)
- Once they’re fried, first soak the excessive oil by resting them on a paper towel, and then place eggplants on an oven dish.
- In a deep frying pan, heat olive oil. Add onions and stir for 3-4 minutes.
- Add ground meat. Cook until ground meat soaks all the juice it lets out.
- Add diced tomato. Stir until cooked. Turn it off.
- Add chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- With the help of two spoons, slit eggplants into two. But leave the tops and bottoms attached.
- Stuff eggplants with ground meat mixture.
- Place a slice of half moon shaped tomato and a green pepper on top of each split belly eggplant.
- Pour 2 dl of hot water on top and bake them in preheated oven at 200 C until green peppers are nicely baked.
I recommend with rice and yogurt.
A.
COMMENT(s) HERE! | tags: eggplant, ground meat | posted in Recipes, Vegetable Dishes
