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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab

    Published: Apr 16, 2022 · Modified: May 12, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Patlican Kebabi (Eggplant/Aubergine Kebab) is a traditional Turkish kebab dish consisting of juicy meatballs layered alternately with sliced eggplants. It is a surprisingly easy dish that needs a little preparation and is perfect for big family gatherings.

    patrician kebabi served with bazlama
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab

    Patlican Kebabi is one of those comforting dishes that I grew up eating and just love to make for my family. There are different ways to make this scrumptious eggplant dish. This version, baked in the oven with tomato sauce is perfect for a midweek meal served with some Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread) or Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) to mop up the juices.

    patrician kebabi eggplant kebab served with bazlama in a plate
    Eggplant Kebab served with Bazlama to mop up the juices.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is an easy one sheet eggplant dish that you can make ahead, perfect as a weekday meal as well as for serving at a dinner party.
    • The leftovers taste even better. You can keep them refrigerated for up to five days or freeze them for up to three months.
    • You only need a few ingredients that you might already have in your fridge!

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for patrician kebabi
    • Minced beef - 30% fat to meat ratio is ideal for juicy meatballs. Using lean mince will make them dry and tough. If you want to use lean mince, you should add some fat or oil to the mixture. You can also use lamb mince or a mixture of both.
    • Aubergine - Pick slightly firm but not hard aubergines with a shiny&smooth skin and peel them in stripes like a zebra pattern. Small ones are better as they have fewer seeds, thinner skin, and tend to be sweeter, tenderer and less bitter.
    • Onion - It adds extra flavour and moisture to the meatballs. I prefer grating it into the mixture. You can also finely chop and sauté them if you prefer. You can substitute it with shallots.
    • Garlic - It is another great flavouring for kofte dishes and is essential. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane. You can substitute the fresh garlic with the garlic powder.
    • Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking and adds an umami flavour to the dishes as well as a bright red colour. You can buy them from Turkish/Mediterranean shops or online from Amazon .
    • Tomatoes - Use the best tomatoes you can find (like plum tomatoes).
    • Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often in my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon.
    • Spices - I like keeping it simple but you can add your favourite spices and flavourings such as cumin, coriander powder or dried thyme. Adjust the amount to your taste.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    This is a very simple, straightforward recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Meatballs

    Place the minced beef, tomato paste, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, flaked chilli and paprika into a deep mixing bowl. Mix them with your hands until all ingredients are well combined, and knead for about 5 to 6 minutes. 

    place the meatball ingredients in a bowl
    Place the ingredients in a bowl
    mix well until all combined
    Mix until all combined

    Divide a little piece from the mixture and roll them into a meatball the size of a walnut, as large as your aubergine/eggplant slices. Slightly flatten them and set them aside. Wet your fingers when shaping meatballs to avoid them sticking.

    Prepare the Tomato Sauce

    Grate one large tomato and place it into a bowl. Add the tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, pepper and water. Mix all until nicely combined and set it aside.

    put tomato, tomato paste and seasoning in a bowl
    Place the tomato, pastes and seasoning in a bowl
    add water and mix
    Add water and mix

    Prepare the Vegetables 

    Slice the eggplants and drizzle on two tablespoons of olive oil. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the eggplants and give a good mix until they all are covered with olive oil and salt. Set them aside. Divide one large tomato into six or eight wedges (depending on the size) and cut the peppers into chunks.

    drizzle olive oil on aubergines
    Slice the eggplants and drizzle on two tablespoons of olive oil. 

    Build the Patlican Kebab

    Preheat the oven to 180 °C and have a round baking dish size of 23cm (9") diameter near you. 

    Place a slice of eggplant upright and place a meatball alongside. Continue layering meatball and eggplant in your dish until you’ve used all of the meat. Make sure the eggplants and meatballs are layered quite tightly, so they can stay upright. Arrange the tomato wedges and peppers around the meatballs and eggplants.

    arrange the meatballs and aubergines into an oven dish
    Arrange the meatballs and eggplants
    add the tomatoes and peppers
    Add the tomatoes and peppers

    Pour the tomato sauce over the dish and cover it with tin foil, and bake it for an hour. Remove the cover and bake for another 50 minutes to an hour, until the meatballs and vegetables are cooked and slightly charred.

    pour the sauce over the dish
    Pour the sauce over the dish
    bake for 2 hours
    Bake for two hours

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious Eggplant Recipes why not try:

    • Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole)
    • Maqluba (Makloubeh)
    • Ali Nazik
    • Karniyarik (Stuffed Aubergine with Mince)
    • Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
    • Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)
    • Vegan Moussaka with Aubergine
    • Ratatouille Nicoise
    • Greek Moussaka (Musaka)
    • Turkish Moussaka
    • Hunkar Begendi (Sultans Delight)
    • Islim Kebabi (Aubergine Meatball Wraps)
    • Baba Ganoush Without Tahini
    How to serve Aubergine Kebab?

    The best way to enjoy this delicious kebab dish is to have it with a bowl of healthy Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf) and some refreshing salad such as Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi) or Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme). You can also serve it with some Turkish Pide Bread (Ramazan Pidesi) or Tawa Naan with Garlic to mop up the juices.

    How long would the leftovers keep?

    The leftovers would keep for up to five days refrigerated or up to three months in the freezer. Let them cool down and put them in an airtight container before placing them in the fridge or freezer.

    Top Tip From the Chef

    You can assemble the eggplants and the meatballs on skewers and cook them over BBQ during the summer. 

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these scrumptious baked koftas with eggplant and tomatoes as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below with a rating and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    patlican kebab

    Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab

    Ayla Clulee
    Patlican Kebabi (Eggplant/Aubergine Kebab) is a traditional Turkish kebab dish consisting of juicy meatballs layered alternately with sliced eggplants.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 469 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 (25 cm) dia oven dish

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Meatballs

    • 500 g minced meat (beef, lamb or a mixture)
    • 1 medium onion (grated)
    • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
    • ½ tablespoon tomato paste
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    For the Tomato Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large tomato (grated)
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 200 ml water

    Vegetables for Patlican Kebabi

    • 1 large tomato (cut in 6 wedges)
    • 3 Turkish green peppers or 1 bell pepper or 1 red Romano pepper (cut in chunky pieces)
    • 500 g aubergines (eggplants)
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the Meatballs

    • Place the minced beef, tomato paste, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, flaked chilli and paprika into a deep mixing bowl. 
    • Mix them with your hands until all ingredients are well combined, knead for about 5 to 6 minutes.
    • Divide a little piece from the mixture and roll them into a meatball the size of a walnut, as large as your aubergine/eggplant slices. Slightly flatten them and set them aside. Wet your fingers when shaping meatballs to avoid them sticking.

    Preparing the Tomato Sauce

    • Grate one large tomato and place it into a bowl.
    • Add the tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, pepper and water.
    • Mix all until nicely combined and set it aside.

    Preparing the Vegetables

    • Slice the eggplants and drizzle on two tablespoons of olive oil.
    • Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the eggplants and give a good mix until they all are covered with olive oil and salt. Set them aside.
    • Divide one large tomato into six or eight wedges (depending on the size) and cut the peppers into chunks.

    Build the Patlican Kebab

    • Preheat the oven to 180 °C and have a round baking dish size of 23cm (9") diameter near you.
    • Place a slice of eggplant upright and place a meatball alongside. Continue layering meatball and eggplant in your dish until you’ve used all of the meat. Make sure the eggplants and meatballs are layered quite tightly, so they can stay upright.
    • Arrange the tomato wedges and peppers around the meatballs and eggplants, and then pour the tomato sauce over.
    • Cover the dish with tin foil and bake it for an hour.
    • Remove the cover and bake for another 50 minutes to an hour, until the meatballs and vegetables are cooked and slightly charred.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 25gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 1313mgPotassium: 1129mgFiber: 7gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1313IUVitamin C: 92mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stephan

      April 28, 2022 at 4:18 am

      5 stars
      So tasty & easy to make. Everyone loved it. I didnt have any pepper paste, so I'll need to get some the next time I make this. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 28, 2022 at 4:38 am

        You are welcome, Stephan!

        Reply
    2. Aleksi

      April 29, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last week. Followed the recipe exactly and use ground chicken. These kebabs were DELICIOUS.

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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