My love affair with eggplant came later in life. In Mexico it was not a common ingredient as I was growing up, so I didn’t start to eat it until I worked at DiVino Wine Studio. The owner was Italian, and Italians love eggplant.
Eggplant featured in quite a few of the restaurant’s dishes and I have to say eggplant and olive oil are made for each other. Then I went to Sicily and I learned how to make a true Sicilian Caponata and that is what solidified my love for this purple vegetable.
Many years later, I made it to Istanbul, and if Italians love eggplant, Turks have it in their DNA. They have so many dishes including eggplant, and so many ways to prepare it! From dips, to salads, to stews, to kebabs to the famous Imam Bayildi stuffed eggplant, this is food fit for a Sultan.
My recipe is inspired on the Turkish way of making stuffed eggplant, but instead of frying the eggplants, I prefer to roast them for a hands-off approach to tenderizing them prior to stuffing them with a meat sauce. After stuffing them, they go back into the oven to finish getting nice and tender for that succulent eggplant mouthfeel.
The sauce is simple, you can make it with beef, lamb or pork, and if you use some sort of spicy red chili in the mix it is really delicious. Turkish hot red pepper paste and tomato paste provide the savouriness and umami. If you have any leftover meat sauce, you can make a nice pasta with it.
This is a perfect end of Summer or early Fall recipe, as locally grown eggplants abound in the farmers markets. There is still time to go find some. I hope you give this a try. And get lots, you can double the recipe and freeze some for a quick dinner later on when you’re rushed.
Savoury Meat Stuffed Eggplants
6 small Italian eggplants, about 5” long
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (or a spicy red chili)
2 garlic cloves, minced
300g ground beef or lamb
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Turkish hot red pepper paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water, divided
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
Mint and parsley leaves for garnish
Cut strips of skin off eggplants and place in a bowl with salted water and soak for 15-20 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels.
Cut a slit down their length, without cutting all the way through, then brush generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place on baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 35-40 minutes, or until soft.
In large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and cook onion and green and red peppers until soft, 5-7 minutes.
Add garlic and meat and cook, breaking up with a spoon, 5-7 minutes.
Add tomato and hot red pepper pastes, salt and pepper and mix in. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Sauce should not be too runny, if it is, cook a few minutes longer. Adjust seasoning and mix in parsley. Reserve.
Slit eggplants open carefully and fill with meat mixture. Place in casserole dish and add 1/2 cup water to pan.
Bake, covered with foil, at 375° for 30-40 minutes, or until very tender.
Serve, topped with parsley and mint leaves.
Serves 5-6.