These eggplants stuffed with ground meat—their name, karniyarik, means “slashed belly”—are served as a hot main dish with rice pilaf (page 193). Use a good-quality tomato juice.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　6 thin and long medium-size eggplants

　　Salt

　　Sunflower oil, for frying

　　2 onions, chopped

　　14 ounces ground beef or lamb

　　1 tablespoon tomato paste

　　2 large tomatoes

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

　　Black pepper

　　1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　1 cup tomato juice

　　

Step 1

Trim the caps but leave the stems on the eggplants. Peel 1/2-inch-wide strips off the skins lengthwise, leaving alternate 1/2-inch strips of peel. Soak the eggplants in water mixed with 1 tablespoon 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.

　　

Step 2

For the filling, fry the onion in another pan in 2 to 3 tablespoons 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.

　　

Step 3

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, lengthwise, 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 hollow pocket.

　　

Step 4

Fill each of the eggplants with some of the filling, and place a slice of the remaining tomato on top. Pour the tomato juice into the dish, cover with foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft.

　　Arabesque