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Islim Kebabı (Aubergine Meatball Wraps)
5 from 12 votes

Islim Kebabı (Aubergine Meatball Wraps)

Islim Kebabı features tender beef meatballs seasoned with spices and wrapped in lightly fried aubergine stripes. The aubergine is peeled in a zebra pattern, creating flexible strips that soften with frying and oven cooking. A simple tomato sauce simmers in the oven to meld flavors, while fresh parsley, cherry tomatoes, and padron peppers provide vibrant garnish.

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 605 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Ingredients

Aubergine Stripes
  • 4 eggplant medium size, preferably long ones to create long stripes, aka aubergine
  • sunflower oil (amount depends on the pan that you will fry the aubergine stripes)
Meatballs
  • 500 g beef 30% fat-to-meat ratio is ideal for juicy meatballs, minced
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large white onion (finely chopped, preferably with a food processor or a grater)
  • 3 garlic preferably finely diced with a food processor or a garlic press, cloves
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika sweet, powder
Tomato Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 300 ml water warm
Garnish
  • 1 parsley finely chopped, for garnish, fresh leaves, handful
  • 10 cherry tomato sliced into half
  • 3 padron pepper sliced into 2 cm cubes, or Turkish chilies; green Spanish

Instructions

Aubergine Stripes
    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the aubergines and dry them with a paper towel.
  2. Peel the aubergines vertically in a zebra pattern. Do not completely peel them.
  3. Slice the aubergines vertically. Make sure each aubergine stripe is dry before frying them to avoid oil splashing. Set them aside.
  4. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan.
  5. Fry each side of the aubergine stripes until they get slightly brown.
  6. Place the fried aubergines on paper towels to get rid of the excess oil. Set them aside.
Meatballs
  1. Place the minced beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and paprika into a deep mixing bowl.
  2. Mix them with your hands until all ingredients are well combined, and knead for about 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Divide a little piece from the mixture and roll them into a meatball the size of a walnut (these meatballs should be able to fit into aubergine wraps. Depending on the size of your aubergine stripes, you can make the meatballs slightly bigger or smaller).
  4. Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil.
  5. Fry the meatballs in the pan until they turn into slight golden color (you don't need to make sure the meatballs are completely cooked at this stage as they will cook further in the oven. Few minutes in the pan should be enough at this stage).
Tomato sauce
  1. In a bowl or glass mix the tomato paste and the water until well combined. Set aside.
Assembling the Aubergine Stripes and Meatballs
  1. Prepare the cherry tomatoes and green peppers by cutting the tomatoes in halves and slicing the peppers into chunks. Set them aside on a plate as we will put them on skewers to secure the aubergine wraps.
  2. Lay 2 fried aubergine stripes on top of each other to form a cross and place one meatball in the middle.
  3. Bring first one end of the aubergine up to the top and then in turn the other three ends to form a wrap.
  4. Place a piece of green pepper and half a tomato on a toothpick and secure the wrap with it. Repeat the same process until you finish all ingredients.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
  6. Nicely arrange the aubergine wraps in a baking dish.
  7. Gently pour the tomato sauce on the aubergine wraps using a spoon. Do not pour the sauce directly on the wraps as this will cause them to fall over in the dish.
  8. Place the baking dish in the oven, and bake the meatballs until cherry tomatoes and green peppers look cooked. It will take around 20 - 25 minutes depending on your oven.
  9. Give 5 minutes to cool down before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with buttery Turkish rice pilaf.

Notes

  • Choose long aubergines to create strips that easily wrap around meatballs.
  • Fry aubergine strips lightly to golden but avoid overcooking to prevent sogginess.
  • The oven further softens aubergine during baking; do not worry if not fully cooked after frying.
  • Use minced beef with at least 20-30% fat content for juicy, tender meatballs.
  • Wet your hands slightly when shaping meatballs to prevent sticking.
  • Store leftover meatballs in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze airtight up to 5 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories 605kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 46g (15%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 17g (85%) Trans Fat 2g (100%) Cholesterol 130mg (43%) Sodium 1118mg (47%) Potassium 1737mg (37%) Fiber 17g (68%) Sugar 22g (44%) Vitamin A 667IU (13%) Vitamin C 90mg (100%) Calcium 121mg (12%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20 pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 605

% Daily Value*

Calories 605kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 46g 15%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 17g 85%
Trans Fat 2g 100%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 1118mg 47%
Potassium 1737mg 37%
Fiber 17g 68%
Sugar 22g 44%
Vitamin A 667IU 13%
Vitamin C 90mg 100%
Calcium 121mg 12%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.