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4.65 from 31 votes

Karniyarik Turkish Stuffed Eggplant

Karniyarik is a classic Turkish stuffed eggplant recipe. Delicious eggplants are stuffed with a tasty ground beef, pepper and tomatoes filling and are baked to perfection. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 325kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 Italian eggplants
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 oz ground beef see notes
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 1 large tomato diced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Tomato sauce

  • 4 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup boiling water

Instructions

  • Prepare the eggplants by peeling strips on their skin. Keep the top on. Cut a slit in each eggplant without going all the way through. 
  • Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Stir and place the eggplants in the salt water. Soak them for 30 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute onion until translucent. Add in minced garlic and cook until golden brown. 
  • Add in ground beef and brown it completely. Add diced green pepper and tomato to the ground beef mixture and cook for a few minutes. 
  • Add in tomato paste, salt and pepper to the filling and mix well. 
  • Discard the salt water and gently squeeze the eggplants. Dry them using a paper towel. 
  • Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the eggplants on all sides until they're soft and brown. 
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. 
  • Place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 
  • Place the fried eggplants in a baking dish and stuff them with the ground beef mixture. 
  • Make the sauce by mixing the tomato paste in water and spoon it over the eggplants and into the dish. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the eggplants are completely cooked and soft. 
  • Serve warm with white rice and cacik

Video

Notes

  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, place the stuffed eggplants in a baking dish and heat in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. 
  • To freeze this dish, let the cooked stuffed eggplants cool completely, then place them in a container and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350°F.
  • You can also grill the eggplants over open fire flame if you would like them to have a smoky flavor. Make sure to poke the eggplants with a fork a few times before grilling them. 
  • If you would like karniyarik to be spicier, add some Urfa or Aleppo pepper to the beef mixture. 
  • It's always best to purchase the eggplants the day you're going to make the dish as they're very fresh then. Fresh eggplants have fewer seeds which makes them more delicious. 

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 1485mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg