Turkish Stuffed Aubergines!

 

Best eggplant dish ever
Turkish Stuffed Eggplant Dish

Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik) Recipe

Do you think cooking at home is important for you, or not? 

We think that cooking at home is important for us. And furthermore, cooking at home is very important for the Turks and it is really part of our culture. On the other hand, today, many Turks don't want to cook foods in their homes and Turkish cooking has undergone much change within our lifetimes, and these changes have increased in recent times especially. Rapid urbanization, industrialization and technological advances are altering our cuisine. Other effects upon our cuisine are fast food and ready-made foods eaten on foot. People now prefer fast food or snack which give them a feeling of satiety. Under the influence of the globalization, small shops selling sandwiches, hamburgers, pizza, and grilled sandwiches are replacing the home made foods, and street food vendors and beverages halls are opening on practically every corner.

In this post; we are going to share our "Stuffed Eggplant meal (Karniyarik)" with you. Because, Turkish Stuffed Eggplant Dish is everyone's favourite meal in Anatolia (Turkey). You can find this dish in every restaurants but most of us prefer to cook this food at homes. 

Best eggplant dish ever
Eggplant dish go back over 4000 years ago.


History of Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik)!

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant or "Karniyarik" demonstrates the Turkish love of stuffed eggplant with a deliciously-baked filling. Especially, it was very popular dish in Ottoman Palace Kitchen. Actually, the origins of the Turkish stuffed eggplant delight known as "karniyarik" go back over 4,000 years ago when the eggplant was first domesticated in a region that now includes parts of India and Pakistan. The proper species name for eggplant which is "Melongena", was referred to in ancient Sanskrit, the liturgical language used by religious persons of South Asia, so it was already pleasing the palates of these ancient diners when written references to it first appeared.

According to historians; from its place of origin, the eggplant made its way westward into the Middle East, penetrating up into Egypt, and northward into present-day Anatolia (Turkey). There are written records of the eggplant in Turkey from the ninth century on, so it is no exaggeration to say that the eggplant has played an important role in Turkish cuisine. Because, Turkish people love this vegetable's meals alot. 

However, Anatolia was not the only place which enjoyed partaking of this delicious and beautiful-looking vegetable. Between the fourth and seventh centuries, eggplants were introduced throughout the countries of Europe, starting in Spain and traveling eastward. Writings from the 16th century indicate that Spaniards held the this beautiful vegetable in great reverence, and believed that it contained a powerful aphrodisiac, prompting them to nickname the eggplant "berengenas", or apples of love. Italian people also came to acquire a great appreciation for the eggplant, and dubbed it the "melanzana". The eggplant was introduced to the all Mediterranean region in the middle ages and has made its way across the globe as a food staple.

What is Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik)!

The stuffed eggplant dish known as karniyarik is humorously named so by the Turkish since its literal translation is "a split belly". When served for dinner, karniyarik is generally considered to be the main course and is often served with rice (pilaf) accompaniment. Most people believe that the dish tastes better if the eggplants are fried in hot oil, and then baked in the oven for tenderizing.

Turkish food karniyarik recipe
If you looking for rich, vibrant and perfect dish
for the supper. Stuffed eggplant dish is really good,


How to Make Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik)

My husband is a sucker for Eggplant. Whenever we see them at the Bazaar. We buy them (especially small ones perfect for this dish). If you looking for rich, vibrant and perfect dish for the supper. We recommend that our "Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik)" dish is really good decision for the supper. Because, this "Turkish Stuffed Eggplant meal" is really rich, energetic and perfect as a light Supper. 

As we mentioned above of the post, we called this meal as "Karniyarik". The name literally translates to "a split tummy". This is because the long, selender purple eggplants are split in half lengthways before being stuffed and cooking. But, "Karniyarik" is to peel thin strips from the outside of the eggplants (like a skin of zebra pattern) before spliting in a half lenghthways eggplants. After the these processes, stuffing process and then cooking process starts. Traditionally, our karniyarik dish (Turkish Stuffed Eggplants) are garnished with Slice of tomatoes (if you want; you may use slices of green peppers instead of the tomatoes or no garnish).

Recipe for Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karnıyarık)!

Stuffed eggplant (Karniyarik) dish's preparation is not complicated. It is really easy and we are sure that when you try this recipe, your family and you like it alot.

Here it is our hearty and very yummy Stuffed eggplant (Karniyarik) dish's recipe;

Serve: 6 Servings, Preparation Time: 15 minutes, Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes, Cuisine: Mediterranean/Anatolian Cuisine, 

Very good family favourite;

Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Ingredients: 4 or 6 Long and selender purple eggplants, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Ingredients: 300-350 gr ground beef,


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Ingredients: 1 Normal size onion, finely chopped, 


Karniyarik ingilizce tarifi
Ingredients : 2 or 3 Normal size tomato, one of them is
sliced into 4 thick slices, rest of them coarsely chopped, 


Karniyarik ingilizce tarifi
Ingredients: 2 or 3 Green fresh Pepper, coarsely
chopped, one of them is sliced into 2 or 4 thick slices, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, one of them
 is for ground beef mixture, other one is for
diluted tomato paste : dish's sauce,


Karniyarik yemeği ingilizce
Ingredients: 2 cloves of garlic, minced, 


Karniyarik yemeği ingilizce
Ingredients : 1 / 2 Teaspoon of salt, ground black
pepper and red pepper flakes, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Ingredients : 1 / 4 Cup Parsley, Chopped, 


English recipes Turkish food
Ingredients : 2 or 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, 


English recipes Turkish food
Firstly wash your eggplants, then take the stem ends
off the your eggplants and strips off
with a knife in a skin of zebra pattern, 


How do you soak eggplant before cooking?
Then fill a large bowl with water and stir in salt,
then soak your eggplants (20-25 mins). This process helps
that removing bitterness of your eggplants, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Then heat one tablespoon vegetable oil in a large fry pan, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Now add your eggplants. Cover with a lid and fry them gently, 


Best eggplant dish ever
Fry your all eggplants until they are softened, 


Mediterranean diet
For ground beef mixture; chop your onion finely, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
For ground beef mixture; grate your garlic,  


Mediterranean diet
Then place your ground beef in a separate pan and
heat gently. Allow it to cook down
in its own juice for a while, 


English recipes Turkish food
Then add vegetable oil and fry it
for another couple of minutes,


Karniyarik ingilizce tarifi
Then add chopped onion and grated garlic
into the mixture and stir. Continue to fry
until your ingredients are soft, 


Best eggplant dish ever
Meanwhile chop your tomatoes  coarsely, 


Mediterranean diet
And chop your green fresh peppers coarsely too, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
For garnishing; cut your tomato into 4 thick slices
and cut your pepper into 2 or 4 thick slices, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Then add chopped ingredients
(green fresh peppers) and stir,


Mediterranean diet
Dont forget to add salt, ground black pepper
and red pepper flakes into the mixture,


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Then add tomato paste and chopped tomato and stir.
Continue to fry until your ingredients are soft, 


Mediterranean diet
Chop your parsley,


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Then add parsley and mix through until
all the ingredients are well combined, 


Best eggplant dish ever
If your ground beef mixture needs water add it and stir,


Eggplant kebab
Then arrange your eggplants in a large
oven tray belly side up, 


Eggplant kebab
Then start to filling process; stuff with ground beef
mixture into the eggplants, 


Eggplant kebab
Then garnish with thick slices of tomato
and green fresh peppers, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Lastly pour 1/2 cup of diluted tomato paste
over the eggplants, 


Mediterranean diet
Put 1/2 cup of water, a tablespoon of tomato paste,
a pinch of salt and 1 / 2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
into a bowl and mix all of them well, 


Karniyarik yemeği ingilizce
Then pour the diluted tomato paste over the eggplants, 


Best eggplant dish ever
Then preheat your oven to 180 ° C ( 350 ° F ), 


Karniyarik yemeği ingilizce
And bake it in the oven for about 35 - 40 minutes, 


Turkish food karniyarik recipe
Your delicious stuffed eggplant dish is ready. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

  • 4 or 6 Long & Selender purple Eggplants, (Long, Selender Purple eggplants are perfect for this recipe)
  • 300-350 gr Ground beef or ground lamb,
  • 1 Normal size onion, finely chopped,
  • 2 or 3 Normal size tomato, one of them is sliced into 4 thick slices, rest of them coarsely chopped,
  • 2 or 3 Green fresh Pepper, coarsely chopped, one of them is sliced into 2 or 4 thick slices,
  • 2 Tablespoon Tomato paste, (one of them is for ground beef mixture, other one is for diluted tomato paste: dish's sauce),
  • 2 Cloves of garlic, minced,
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt, 
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black pepper, 
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Red pepper flakes,
  • 1/4 Cup Parsley, Chopped, 
  • 2 or 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil,

Preparation:

1- First of all, put your all ingredients on the work table. Secondly, wash your all eggplants and then take the stem ends off the your eggplants and strips off with a knife in a skin of zebra pattern (this process will help your eggplants hold their shapes better), 

2- Then fill a large and deep bowl with water and stir in salt, then add your eggplants. Soak your eggplants for about 20-25 minutes while you are preparing your filling. This process helps that removing bitterness of your eggplants. After these processes, your eggplants are ready to fry.

3- Heat one Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large fry pan and add your eggplants. Cover with a lid and fry gently until your eggplants are softened. Then, place your ground beef (or ground lamb meat) in a separate pan and heat gently. Allow ground beef to cook down in its own juice and the meat is nicely browned colour. Then, add vegetable oil, tomato paste, onion, garlic and green peppers. Continue to fry until your ingredients are soft, then add your tomatoes and cook down another 5 minutes. Now add your salt, ground black pepper, red pepper fkakes and parsley, and mix through until all the ingredients are well combined (if your ground beef mixture needs water, add it and stir). 

4- Then, arrange your eggplants in a large oven tray belly side up. Then, cut a long slit down the length of each eggplant and then start to filling process; stuff with ground beef (or ground lamb) mixture into the eggplants. And then, garnish with thick slices of tomato or slices of green peppers or both. 

5- Then put 1/2 cup of water, a tablespoon of tomato paste, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil into a bowl and mix all of them well. Then pour the diluted tomato paste over the eggplants. Then preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake it in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, 

6- And be sure to serve hot. (Generally, we serve our Turkish Stuffed Eggplants (Karnıyarık) Dish with a plate of pilaf (rice dish) and an ice cold glass of "Turkish Salted Yogurt Drink (Ayran)". Also, it is served with a sesoning salad and with a Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers and Herbs (Tzatziki/Cacık)

Enjoy!

Please let us know how this "Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik) recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

Turkish Stuffed Aubergines dish
Best Eggplant Dish 

Comments

  1. Holy Moly! that's a lot of work! But well worth it! I'm sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Dear Ellie, it takes time but it is so delicious.

      Delete
  2. What a great recipe! We love eggplants and bake them a lot instead of frying. Yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to hear that Dear friend! We cook eggplant dishes alot in summer and fall seasons. Greetings.

      Delete
  3. Hello,
    The stuffed eggplant looks yummy. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. Have a happy new week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Buonasera
    Grazie della ricetta che non conoscevo e da noi Montanari vivo a 1000 m non si usa molto la melanzana, da noi le facciamo fritte e con pomodoro e mozzarella e si chiamano alla parmigiana, ma sono poco frequenti sulle nostre tavole
    Ho memorizzato il tutto questa primavera quando torneranno nei nostri negozi approfitterò della tua ricetta per tentare di prepararle
    Grazie
    Abbi cura di te

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too just made some roasted eggplants. Yours looks so good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a delicious and beautiful dish.
    My mother makes this all the time. However, when she cooks the eggplant in the oven she doesn't fry it. Thanks for the recipe!




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank for your nice comment Dear Yessikan! Greetings.

      Delete
  7. Quem sabe um dia experimento. Parece delicioso. Nunca comi berinjela.
    Beijos e boa semana!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Food really is changing with the times, isn't it? I don't think I've had eggplant that much so this recipe is interesting to me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you try it i am sure you enjoy the eggplant. Greetings.

      Delete
  9. I've never had eggplant before, this looks like a great way to eat them! Thank you for sharing!

    Hope you had a great weekend! We enjoyed the warmer weather here :)

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We cook eggplant dishes alot in summer and fall season. Hope you try it Dear friend. Thank for your nice comment.

      Delete
  10. Gracias por la receta. Se ve muy rica . La tendré en cuenta. Te mando un beso.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That/they do look delicious done like that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you try it Dear Margaret. This is our favourite.

      Delete
  12. A beautiful, delicious and wonderful dish, each country has its own history and culture inherited from the ancestors in different matters and this is what gives each country a different beauty including the food culture, and I love your adherence to this culture. Always keep going this way and don't change

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for stop by and your nice comment Dear friend. Your youtube site beautiful Greetings.

      Delete
  13. Adorei a receita! Gosto muito de beringela e geralmente faço elas fritas com uma mistura de ovos, amido de milho e sal.Nunca tinha pensado em rechear com carne moída. Muito bom! Beijos!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Amazing and very delicious recipe thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stop by and nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  15. I haven't eaten eggplant in years, methinks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think i missed the answer here. Thanks for your comment Dear Dezmond.

      Delete
  16. Yummy! How you cut the skin of that eggplant looks nice Dear...I like the final presentation. Something new for me to know another cooking of aubergines. Have a nice day ^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you try this recipe Dear friend. It is amazing. Greetings.

      Delete
  17. We grew eggplants in our garden for the first time this year. They are delicious on the grill. Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will try grilled eggplants. Thanks for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  18. Hello, Semra! How are you? I haven't heard from you for a long time. I like eggplants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Irina! We are ok. We have been a long holiday. Thanks for asking. Greetings

      Delete
  19. I always appreciate your tutorials. How could anyone not prepare a beautiful dish like this one with your thoughtful and careful guidance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your nice comment Dear friend!

      Delete
  20. This is a really nice dish. It is very late summer here in Florida and eggplant is abundant. We often see the large eggplant but can find the Japanese eggplants ( smaller ones). You put a lot of love into your dish and it can felt thousands a miles away.
    Yes our food worlds are changing rapidly. S many choices now, people want convenience. It has some benefits but many not so good. Thanks for sharing this dish and your thoughts.

    Velva

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for stop by and your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  21. I love eggplant! And this is the best time of the year for it. Terrific looking dish -- I want to make this! :-) Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you try this recipe Dear friend! i am sure you like it. Thanks for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  22. When I'm waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store, I often will notice what others are buying, and I realize that not many people cook from scratch at home!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely correct Dear friend! Homemade foods are always better. Thank you so much for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  23. It is surprising and very nice to see the our Karnıyarık recipe on your blog. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your meal. :)
    Greatings from Türkiye :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Aubergines/eggplants are very plentiful at the moment.
    Many thanks for sharing this recipe and your step by step guide.

    Happy Autumn.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Dear Jan for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  25. Beautiful dinner for beautiful season! Thank you form 2pots

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  26. This looks very delicious! I'd like to try these dishes :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your nice comment Dear friend! Hope you try it, i am sure you like it. Greetings.

      Delete
  27. Oi!! Quando atualizar me avisa?
    Ótima semana!
    Beijos! :) ,<3

    ReplyDelete
  28. Replies
    1. Hope you try it in your kitchen Dear friend! I am sure you like it alot. Thanks for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  29. Hello Bread & Salt. I think that humanity is not becoming aware of the strong changes that the world is undergoing in recent years. Let's look today in the direction we look, nothing is the same as yesterday. Fewer and fewer families can eat together and do it at home, I think we should react to this.
    Stuffed aubergines seem like a delicious snack to me, your proposal is great.🙂😋
    Happy week. Kisses.😘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely correct and i wholy agree with you Dear friend! Thank you so much for your nice comment. Greetings.

      Delete
  30. Me encanta la berenjena y esta preparación sabe exquisita. La berenjena la como al horno, cazuela o en milanesa (pasar por pan rallado y huevo). La utilizo frecuentemente.
    Gracias Anne!; Un abrazo.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This dish looks so fragrant and full of flavor. I haven't had eggplant in quite some time. I should definitely have some soon. I know my husband would love this recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should try this recipe Dear friend! I am sure you like it. Thanks for the comment.

      Delete
  32. So delicious

    Kisses
    www.pimentadeacucar.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I think many cultures have gotten away from homemade cooking as both parents work out of the house. This recipe looks really tasty and eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables.

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  34. looks sooooo delicious👍👍👍👍

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  35. Looks so delicious! And you've presented the processes so clearly, how wonderful!

    ReplyDelete

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