Karniyarik is a traditional Turkish dish made with aubergines (a.k.a eggplant) stuffed with a delicious tomatoey mince filling. You can make this tasty dish in advance, they are a crowd pleaser and the leftovers freeze beautifully!
It is the ultimate comfort food that you can serve on its own or pair with some fluffy Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) and Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers).
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Aubergine (or Eggplant) is very popular in Turkey and there are around 150 different aubergine dishes in Turkish Cuisine. Karniyarik is one of the much-loved aubergine dishes and you can find it anywhere you go in Turkey. Although it is originally made with minced lamb, you can make it with minced beef or chicken.
What is Karniyarik?
Karniyarik can be literally translated as "riven belly" or "split belly" in Turkish. It is a very popular dish consisting of fried or roasted eggplant (or aubergine) stuffed with a tomatoey mince&onion filling. Ground meat can be lamb or beef, some recipes even recall chicken or turkey meat.
It is usually cooked during summer when the aubergines are at their best but you can enjoy them any time of the year as long as you can get hold of aubergines.
The vegetarian version of Karniyarik is called Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant) which is most popular in the Mediterranean and Aegean parts of Turkey.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is very easy to make with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
- You can prepare Karniyarik a few days in advance and bake or cook it just before serving.
- The leftovers would keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- If you like the Mediterranean diet, you should definitely try this Turkish stuffed aubergine recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Aubergines - Pick slightly firm but not hard aubergines with shiny&smooth skin and peel them in stripes like a zebra pattern.
- Mince - You can use minced lamb, beef, or even a mixture of both for this recipe.
- Olive oil - I use good quality olive oil to achieve the best flavor. Be generous about it when you are making an aubergine dish as olive oil gives the dish a nice and rich flavor.
- Tomatoes - Use the best tomatoes you can find (like plum tomatoes).
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes and bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
- Parsley - It adds balance to savory dishes and is one of the most popular herbs in Mediterranean cooking. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater.
How to Choose the Best Aubergine?
Globe aubergines/eggplants, also known as Italian aubergines, work the best for this recipe as it is easier to shape them like a boat.
Small ones are better, they have fewer seeds, thinner skin, and tend to be sweeter, tenderer, and less bitter. If you buy large ones, cut them in halves before frying them.
Pick slightly firm but not hard aubergines with a shiny&smooth skin
Step-by-Step Instructions
Although making Karniyarik - Mince Stuffed Aubergine takes a little bit of time, this is a very simple recipe to follow. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Cook the Aubergines
Firstly, peel the aubergines in stripes to resemble a zebra pattern. And then decide how you want to cook them to make this delicious dish. You can either fry them in a pan or an air fryer, bake in the oven, or grill them on an open fire.
The most traditional way is to fry the aubergines with olive oil in a pan and then fill them with mince filling. To fry the aubergines, heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then fry the aubergines until they start to soften but still have a bit of firmness, turning occasionally.
Alternatively, brush the aubergines with a generous amount of olive oil (approximately 50 ml) and then roast in a preheated oven at 200° C (400° F) until starting to soften, for about 30 minutes, or in the air fryer at 200° C (400° F) for 15 minutes.
You can also grill the aubergines over the open-fire flame if you would like them to have a smoky flavor. Make sure to poke them with a fork a few times before grilling them. Leave them on a colander to get rid of the excess oil and then proceed to prepare the filling.
Prepare the Mince Filling
Use the same pan you fried the aubergines for making the filling. Get rid of the excess oil if there is any or add a tablespoon of olive oil if there is no oil left in the pan.
Put the pan on medium heat and then add the mince. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them. Stir in the garlic and then sauté for another minute, stirring continuously, without burning the garlic.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and let them cook for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
Stir occasionally to avoid it catching the bottom. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley, stir well and then take the pan off the heat.
Stuff the Aubergines and Cook
Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F). Cut lengthwise in the aubergines, leaving 2 cm (1") at both ends, without piercing through the bottom. Season with some salt. Carefully stuff the aubergines with a help of a spoon.
Try to fit in as much filling as possible, piling them up a little bit if necessary. Arrange the aubergines on a baking dish stuffed side up. To make the sauce, mix half a tablespoon of tomato paste with 150 ml of water and then pour this over the aubergines.
Cover the oven dish with a lid or tin foil and then place it in the oven. Bake the aubergines for an hour and then remove the lid/tin foil. Add more water if it looks a little dry and let them bake for another 15 minutes until the aubergines are completely soft.
Alternatively, you can cook them in a pan. After filling the aubergines, place them in a pan stuffed side up. Put a lid on the pan and then cook them over low heat for an hour or until the aubergines are completely soft. Check the pan occasionally and then add more water if it looks a little dry.
Let them cool completely and then garnish with some chopped parsley before serving.
Top Tip From the Chef
If you have any leftover filling after stuffing the aubergines, add it to your dish, in between the aubergines. Alternatively, you can keep the filling and crack an egg or two and turn it into a delicious lunch.
Recipe FAQs
The most common way to serve this aubergine dish is with some yogurt dishes such as Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers) and Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip) or a bowl of refreshing salad such as Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi) and Gavurdagi Salatasi (Tomato and Walnut Salad). You can also serve Karniyarik with a slice of crusty bread or a bowl of Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav)
Yes, they freeze beautifully. To freeze this dish, cool down the cooked stuffed aubergines completely, then place them in an airtight container. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 180° C (356°F).
Yes, you can prepare this stuffed aubergine dish a couple of days in advance and cook it just before serving. Keep it refrigerated until you need it and take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking it.
Related Recipes
For more delicious eggplant recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious eggplant dish "Karniyarik" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Karniyarik - Mince Stuffed Aubergine
Equipment
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 4 aubergines (250 - 300 grams each)
- 100 ml good quality olive oil (for frying the aubergines)
- 400 g minced meat (lamb or beef)
- 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil (for the mince filling)
- 2 onions (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 400 g tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus ⅓ teaspoon extra for the aubergines
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon flaked chili (optional)
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tomato (for garnish)
- 1 Turkish pepper or ½ green bell pepper (for garnish)
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste diluted in 150 ml water (for the sauce)
Instructions
Cook the Aubergines
- Peel the aubergines in stripes to resemble a zebra pattern.
- Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and fry the aubergines until they start to soften but still have a bit of firmness, turning occasionally.
- Alternatively, brush the aubergines with a generous amount of olive oil (approximately 50 ml) and either roast in a preheated oven at 200 °C (400° F) until starting to soften, around 30 minutes, or in an air fryer at 200 °C (400° F) for 15 minutes.
- Leave them on a colander to get rid of the excess oil and proceed to prepare the filling.
Prepare the Mince Filling
- Use the same pan you fried the aubergines for making the filling.
- Get rid of the excess oil if there is any or add a tablespoon of olive oil if there is no oil left in the pan.
- Put the pan on medium heat and add the mince.
- Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute, stirring continuously, without burning the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper stir well, and let them cook for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir occasionally to avoid it catching the bottom.
- Sprinkle on the chopped parsley, stir well and take the pan off the heat
Stuff the Aubergines and Cook
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F).
- Make a cut lengthwise in the aubergines, leaving 2 cm at both ends, without piercing through the bottom. Season with some salt.
- Carefully stuff the aubergines with a help of a spoon. Try to fit in as much filling as possible, piling them up a little bit if necessary.
- Place the aubergines on a baking dish stuffed side up.
- To make the sauce, mix half a tablespoon of tomato paste with 150 ml of water and pour this over the aubergines.
- Cover the oven dish with a lid or tin foil and place it in the oven.
- Bake the aubergines for an hour and then remove the lid/tin foil.
- Add more water if it looks a little dry and bake them for another 15 minutes or until the aubergines are completely soft.
- Alternatively, you can cook them in a pan. After filling the aubergines, place them in a pan stuffed side up. Put a lid on the pan and cook them over low heat for an hour or until the aubergines are completely soft. Check the pan occasionally and add more water if it looks a little dry.
- Let them cool completely and garnish with some chopped parsley and fresh tomato slices before serving.
Notes
- Pick slightly firm but not hard aubergines with a shiny&smooth skin.
- You can also grill the aubergines over the open-fire flame if you would like them to have a smoky flavor.
- If you have any leftover filling after stuffing the aubergines, add it to your dish, in between the aubergines.
- Yes, you can prepare this stuffed aubergine dish a couple of days in advance and cook it just before serving.
- Globe aubergines/eggplants, also known as Italian aubergines, work the best for this recipe as it is easier to shape them like a boat.
Nutrition
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Dona
I made this recipe for my dinner guests and they all asked for the recipe! I used tinned tomatoes and added a pinch of sugar. And used my air fryer to cook the aubergines. Turned out just perfect!
Gina
Love this recipe! My guests asked me for the recipe and took the leftovers home!