Karniyarik - Meat Stuffed Eggplants

Cooking the Eggplants

1. Peel the eggplants in stripes to resemble a zebra pattern.
2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Add the olive oil and fry the eggplants until they start to soften but still have a bit of firmness, turning occasionally. 
4. Alternatively, brush the eggplants 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.
5. Leave them on a colander to get rid of the excess oil and proceed to prepare the filling.

Preparing the Meat Filling

1. Use the same pan you fried the eggplants for making the filling.
2. 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.
3. Put the pan on medium heat and add the ground meat.
4. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them. 
6. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute, stirring continuously, without burning the garlic. 
7. 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. 
8. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley, stir well and take the pan off the heat.

Stuffing and Cooking the Eggplants

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F).
2. Make a cut lengthwise in the eggplants, leaving 1 cm (½") at both ends, without piercing through the bottom. Season them with some salt.
3. Carefully stuff the eggplants with a help of a spoon. Try to fit in as much filling as possible, piling them up a little bit if necessary.
4. Place the eggplants on a baking dish stuffed side up.
5. To make the sauce, mix half a tablespoon of tomato paste with 150 ml of water and pour this over the aubergines.
6. Cover the oven dish with a lid or tin foil and place it in the oven. 
7. Bake the eggplants for an hour and then remove the lid/tin foil.
8. Add more water if it looks a little dry and bake them for another 15 minutes or until the eggplants are completely soft.
9. 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 eggplants are completely soft. Check the pan occasionally and add more water if it looks a little dry.
10. Let them cool for 10 minutes and garnish with some chopped parsley and fresh tomato slices before serving.