Karnıyarık (Turkish-style Stuffed Eggplant)

Wash 4 eggplants, trim off the excess stem end, and peel off strips of skin lengthwise, leaving alternating bands. Make a deep lengthwise slit in each eggplant without cutting all the way through or separating the halves. Rub the eggplants with salt and let sit for 30 minutes, then pat dry.

Heat 100 ml olive oil in a wide skillet. Fry the eggplants on all sides over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, turning gently, until lightly browned and softened. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

For the filling, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté the finely chopped onion for 3–4 minutes, add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking up any clumps, until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the chopped green peppers, minced garlic, 2 tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, black pepper and chili flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring in the parsley at the end.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Arrange the eggplants in a baking dish, gently open up the slits and fill them with the meat mixture. Top with slices of the third tomato.

Stir 1 tbsp tomato paste into 400 ml hot water, pour the sauce into the bottom of the dish around the eggplants, and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the eggplants are completely tender.

Let the karnıyarık rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot with the tomato sauce from the dish.