Patlican Kebabi (Aubergine & Meatball Kebab)
A classic southern Turkish tray kebab where smoky aubergine slices are layered with spiced meatballs and baked in a rich tomato sauce. Pure comfort food, easily made in a UK home oven.
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Ingredients
2 large aubergines, about 1kg, cut into 2cm rounds
500g minced lamb
1 small onion, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp mild pepper paste
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 sivri (long green) peppers, halved
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt, plus extra for the aubergine
200ml hot water
Instructions
- 1
Sprinkle the aubergine rounds generously with salt and leave in a colander for 20 minutes, then rinse and pat completely dry.
- 2
Mix the minced lamb with the grated onion, garlic, cumin, half the pepper flakes, black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Knead for 2-3 minutes, then shape into 12-14 plump meatballs roughly the same diameter as the aubergine rounds.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Arrange the aubergine slices and meatballs upright in alternating rows in a deep baking dish, packing them snugly. Tuck the tomato wedges and halved sivri peppers into the gaps.
- 4
Whisk the tomato paste, pepper paste, olive oil, remaining pepper flakes and hot water together with a pinch of salt, then pour it evenly over the tray.
- 5
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes so the aubergine steams and softens.
- 6
Remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are browned and the sauce has thickened and glazed the vegetables.
- 7
Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the dish with rice pilav or warm pide bread, spooning the pan juices over the top.
Patlican kebabi is one of the great tray bakes of Gaziantep and Adana: rounds of aubergine threaded with juicy kofta-style meatballs, roasted until the aubergine turns silky and the meat juices soak into everything. Traditionally it is cooked over coals or in a stone oven, but a hot fan oven at home gives beautifully close results.
The secret is salting the aubergine first so it loses its bitterness and does not drink up too much oil, and seasoning the mince generously with cumin, pepper flakes and garlic. A simple sauce of tomato paste, mild pepper paste and hot water keeps the tray moist while it bakes.
Serve it straight from the dish with fluffy baldo rice pilav or warm pide bread and a cold glass of ayran. Every ingredient here, from the Oncu pastes to fresh sivri peppers, is available for UK-wide delivery from Turkish Online Market, your Turkish online supermarket.
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