Karniyarik (Stuffed Aubergines with Minced Meat)
Silky fried aubergines split open and filled with a rich minced meat, tomato and pepper stuffing — karniyarik is Turkish home cooking at its most comforting.
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Ingredients
4 medium aubergines (about 800g)
400g minced beef (10-15% fat)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 ripe tomatoes: 1 diced for the filling, 1 sliced for the top
4 sivri (long green) peppers
150ml sunflower oil, for frying the aubergines
A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes (pul biber)
1.5 tsp salt
150ml hot water (for the baking sauce)
Instructions
- 1
Peel the aubergines in alternating stripes, leave them whole, and soak in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat completely dry.
- 2
Heat the sunflower oil in a wide pan and fry the whole aubergines over medium heat, turning, until golden on all sides and soft, about 10-12 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.
- 3
In 2 tablespoons of the same oil, cook the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and minced beef and fry until the meat is browned and its juices have evaporated.
- 4
Stir in 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, the diced tomato, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes; simmer for 5 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in most of the parsley.
- 5
Lay the aubergines in a baking dish, cut a deep slit along each one and gently push the flesh aside to make a pocket. Fill each generously with the meat mixture.
- 6
Top each aubergine with a slice of tomato and a whole green pepper. Whisk the remaining tomato paste into 150ml hot water and pour it around the aubergines.
- 7
Bake at 190C (fan 170C) for 25-30 minutes until the peppers are blistered and the sauce is bubbling.
- 8
Rest for 10 minutes, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve warm with rice pilav and ayran.
Karniyarik, literally "split belly", is one of the great classics of the Turkish family table. Whole aubergines are fried until golden and collapsing, then slit down the middle and generously filled with a savoury mixture of minced beef, onion, garlic, tomato and parsley before a final bake in the oven. The result is impossibly tender aubergine soaked in meaty tomato juices.
The secret to a proper karniyarik is in the aubergine preparation. Peel them in stripes (zebra style), soak them in salted water for 15 minutes to draw out any bitterness, then dry them thoroughly before frying. If you prefer a lighter version, brush the aubergines with oil and roast them at 200C until soft instead of shallow-frying — the dish still works beautifully.
In Turkey karniyarik is almost always served with a mound of buttery baldo rice pilav and a cold glass of ayran. You can find Turkish aubergines, baldo rice, tomato paste and every spice you need for this recipe at Turkish Online Market, delivered anywhere in the UK.
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