Turkish Baked Eggplant with Meat
Ingredients
- 6 medium eggplants
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 500 grams ground meat
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon mixed spices
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed chili
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For serving
- Fried pine nuts
Preparation
Set the wire rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C.
Prepare a medium-sized oven dish suitable for serving.
Using a sharp knife, peel the eggplants in stripes without removing the stem.
In a deep frying pan, add oil to about 2 inches deep and heat over medium heat until hot.
Fry the eggplants until golden brown, then drain on paper towels and let cool slightly.
Make a slit on one side of each eggplant and open slightly to form a pocket.
In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat, add ground meat, and stir until water evaporates.
Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, chili, paprika, cumin, and water and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
Stuff the eggplants with the meat mixture.
Place remaining meat mixture in the dish, arrange stuffed eggplants on top, sprinkle with cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with fried pine nuts and serve with white rice.
