Split-Belly Eggplants[Karniyarik] -

Split-Belly Eggplants
[Karniyarik]

Ingredients

10 eggplants, medium
6 onions, medium
6 cloves garlic
100 gr. butter
1 kg. minced beef
500 gr. tomatoes, medium
Salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 cups hot water
½ bunch chopped parsley

To fry:

3 cups sunflower oil

Details

Serves: 10

Method

Finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel the tomatoes and chop small. Chop the parsley. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and garlic and stir over the heat for a few minutes. Add the minced meat and stir until the juice is released. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened. Finally add the salt and diluted tomato paste. Continue to stir for 5 minutes. Add the hot water and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain off the liquid into a bowl. Stir the chopped parsley into the minced meat and set aside.

Cut off the green sepals from the eggplants, leaving the stalks attached. Slice away little from the pointed ends. Peel the central part, leaving a centimeter of peel at either end. Sprinkle salt over and set aside for 15 minutes. Wash with plenty of water and fry over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from the fat with a strainer spoon and place in a deep baking tin. With a spoon make a spilt down the eggplant and press out a hollow with the back of the spoon. Fill each eggplant with some of the minced meat mixture.

Cut the remaining tomato into 10 slices, remove the seeds and lay one on each eggplant. Pour the liquid from the minced meat over and bake in pre-heated oven at 160°C for about 15 minutes. Serve hot with rice pilaf.

Related food category:

• Beef
• Vegetable and Side Dishes