Minced Meat Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

• 4 piece medium eggplants
• 400 g ground beef
• 1 piece large onion
• 3 clove garlic cloves
• 2 piece tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 200 ml hot water

Instructions

1. Prepare the eggplants

   Wash eggplants and cut a deep slit lengthwise on one side, about 3/4 through without cutting completely. Sprinkle salt generously inside the slits and let sit for 20 minutes until they release bitter juices. Rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels. Do not skip the salting step or the eggplants will be bitter.

2. Fry the eggplants

   Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until shimmering. Carefully add eggplants and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides and tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcrowd the pan or they will steam instead of frying.

3. Make the filling

   Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in the same pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn or it will taste bitter.

4. Cook the meat

   Add ground beef to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until browned and no pink remains. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until darkened. The meat should be well-browned and aromatic. Do not rush this step or the meat will be bland.

5. Add tomatoes and seasonings

   Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the pan along with chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until tomatoes break down and mixture thickens slightly. The filling should be moist but not watery. Do not add liquid or the filling will be too wet.

6. Stuff and arrange

   Preheat oven to 180°C. Carefully open the eggplant slits wider and stuff generously with the meat filling. Arrange stuffed eggplants in a baking dish and pour hot water around them, not over the filling. The water should come halfway up the sides. Do not pour water directly on the filling or it will become soggy.

7. Bake until tender

   Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until eggplants are completely tender when pierced with a knife and filling is heated through. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes to lightly brown the tops. The eggplants should be very soft and the filling hot throughout. Do not overbake or the eggplants will collapse.

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