Karnıyarık (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)

• 1300 g eggplant, 8-9 medium, stems trimmed short
• 8 g salt, 1 heaping teaspoon
• 40 g vegetable oil, half small bowl
• 30 g vegetable oil, 2-3 tablespoons
• 1 onion, large, finely chopped
• 300 g ground beef, medium-fat, crumbled
• 2 hot pepper, 2-3, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 g salt, half teaspoon
• 1½ g black pepper, half teaspoon
• 3 g red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
• 2 tomato, medium, peeled and cubed
• 100 g water, 1 tea glass
• parsley, a few sprigs, finely chopped
• 24 g tomato paste, 1 heaping tablespoon
• 3 g salt, 1 teaspoon
• 400 g water, 2 glasses, hot
• cherry tomato, for decoration
• green pepper, for decoration

Preparation

1. Step 1 · 200°C / 392°F · 15 minutes

   0:33
   Trim the green parts from the stems of the eggplants. Soak in enough water to cover with 8 g salt for 15 minutes to remove bitterness. Drain, pat dry, score a deep lengthwise slit down the center of each without cutting through, and arrange in a large rectangular baking dish. Brush all sides generously with 40 g oil. Bake in a preheated 200 °C oven until well browned on the first side (about 20 minutes), flip, and bake until the second side is also browned (about 10 minutes more). Total oven time is approximately 30 minutes depending on the oven.
2. Step 2 · 5 minutes

   2:07
   Heat 30 g oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Add the 300 g ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until it browns and releases then reabsorbs its liquid. Stir in the chopped hot peppers, garlic, 3 g salt, 1.5 g black pepper, and 3 g red pepper flakes. Cook a few minutes more. Add the peeled and cubed tomatoes plus 100 g water. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
3. Step 3

   4:35
   Gently open the slit in each roasted eggplant. Spoon the meat filling generously into the cavities, mounding it slightly. Arrange the stuffed eggplants back in the baking dish. Decorate the tops with cherry tomatoes and sliced green pepper as desired.
4. Step 4 · 200°C / 392°F · 25 minutes

   5:16
   Whisk together the tomato paste, 3 g salt, and 400 g hot water until smooth. Pour the sauce around and over the eggplants from the edge of the dish. Crumple a sheet of lightly oiled parchment paper and place it over the dish to keep the surface moist. Bake in a 200 °C oven for 25 minutes.
5. Step 5 · 200°C / 392°F · 10-15 minutes

   6:19
   Remove the parchment paper. Return the dish to the 200 °C oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes until the tops are nicely browned. Total covered-plus-uncovered oven time after stuffing is about 35-40 minutes.
6. Step 6

   6:41
   Remove from the oven and serve hot, ideally with rice.