Karnıyarık

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220°C. Peel the eggplants in alternating strips to create a striped pattern, leaving some skin on so they hold their shape. Cut a deep lengthwise slit in each eggplant without slicing all the way through. Rub all over and lightly inside the slits with the salt, then leave for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling; this seasons them and helps draw out a little bitterness.

   2 (about 500 g total) small eggplants6 g fine salt
2. 2

   Heat 15 ml olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

   15 ml olive oil120 g, finely diced onion1 small (50 g), finely diced green pepper3 cloves (9 g), minced garlic
3. 3

   Add the ground beef and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up well, until no longer pink and any released liquid has mostly evaporated. Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes more until the mixture is thick rather than watery; the filling should mound on a spoon. Remove from the heat and fold in the chopped parsley.

   180 g ground beef180 g, peeled and diced tomato15 g tomato paste1 g black pepper1 g Aleppo pepper or mild chilli flakes4 g fine salt10 g, finely chopped parsley
4. 4

   Pat the eggplants dry with paper towel. In the same pan, heat 35 ml olive oil over medium heat and fry the eggplants for 6-8 minutes total, turning carefully, until lightly browned and beginning to soften. They do not need to be fully tender at this stage. Transfer to a small baking dish.

   35 ml olive oil2 (about 500 g total) small eggplants
5. 5

   Using the back of a spoon, gently open the slits in the eggplants to make room for the filling. Divide the beef mixture evenly between them, pressing it in generously so it sits slightly heaped on top.

   2 (about 500 g total) small eggplants180 g ground beef120 g, finely diced onion1 small (50 g), finely diced green pepper3 cloves (9 g), minced garlic180 g, peeled and diced tomato15 g tomato paste10 g, finely chopped parsley1 g black pepper1 g Aleppo pepper or mild chilli flakes4 g fine salt
6. 6

   Make the baking sauce by mixing the grated tomato, sliced garlic, hot water, tomato paste, olive oil, and salt in a bowl until the paste dissolves. Pour the sauce around, not over, the stuffed eggplants so the tops stay exposed and roast nicely.

   120 g, grated or finely chopped tomato1 clove (3 g), sliced garlic120 ml hot water8 g tomato paste5 ml olive oil1 g fine salt
7. 7

   Bake for 18-20 minutes until the eggplants are completely tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Rest for 3 minutes before serving so the filling settles and the eggplants hold together better.

8. 8

   Spoon some of the tomato sauce from the dish around the eggplants, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve hot. Rice pilaf and plain yogurt are classic accompaniments.

   4 g, chopped parsley

Origin & History

Karnıyarık is one of the best-loved home-style dishes in Turkish cuisine, traditionally made by stuffing softened eggplants with a savoury minced meat filling and finishing them in a tomato sauce. Its name is often translated as "split belly," referring to the slit eggplants opened to receive the filling. The dish became a staple of Ottoman-influenced cooking and remains a classic at family tables across Turkey.