Karniyarik Recipes

KARNIYARIK

Steps:

• Peel the eggplant skins in stripes, then cut a lengthwise slit down the middle of each eggplant without going all the way through, 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Fill a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with water and mix in 1 tablespoon salt. Add the eggplants to the water and let soak, rotating them occasionally, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray.
• Remove the eggplants from the water, gently squeeze to get rid of excess water and pat them dry. Rinse and dry the casserole dish; reserve for later.
• Place the eggplants on the prepared baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake until they are cooked and tender but not falling apart, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the eggplants and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the Anaheim peppers and tomato and toss to combine. Mix in the Aleppo pepper, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is saucy, about another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Transfer the eggplants to the reserved casserole dish. Open up each slit by pushing against the sides of it with a spoon, making sure the eggplant is still intact on the bottom. Spoon the filling into each eggplant.
• Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups hot water and 1 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup or bowl. Spoon the sauce over the eggplants and into the casserole dish. Bake until heated through and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Top with parsley right before serving.

STUFFED EGGPLANTS WITH MEAT (KARNIYARIK)

Steps:

• Trim the caps but leave the stems on the eggplants. Peel 1/2-inch-wide strips off of the skins lengthwise, leaving alternate 1/2-inch strips of peel. Soak the eggplants in water mixed with 1 tbsp of salt for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them. Fry them very briefly in hot shallow oil, 2 or 3 in the skillet at a time, turning to brown them lightly all over. Drain them on paper towels.
• For the filling, fry the onion in another pan in 2 or 3 tbsp of oil until it is soft. Add the meat and cook for about 5 minutes, crushing it with a fork and turning it over until it changes color. Add the tomato paste and one of the tomatoes, peeled and chopped, and the cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.
• Place the eggplants side by side in a single layer in a baking dish. With a sharp pointed knife, make a slit in each one, length wise, along one of the bare strips on the top until about 1 inch from each end. Carefully open the slits and, with a dessertspoon, press against the flesh on the insides to make a hallow pocket.
• Fill each of the eggplants with some of the filling, and place a slice of the remaining tomato on top. Pout the tomato juice into the dish, cover with foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350F for about 40 minutes, or until eggplants are soft.