Ingredients for Stuffed Eggplant (Patlıcan Dolması)
- 6 eggplants
- 300 g (about 10.5 oz) ground beef
- 1 onion
- 3 handfuls rice
- 1 tablespoon + 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) tomato paste (domates salçası)
- 2 handfuls parsley
- 1 pinch dried mint
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) + 1 pinch salt
- 1 tea glass water (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon margarine
How to Make Stuffed Eggplant (Patlıcan Dolması)
In a bowl, combine 300 g (about 10.5 oz) of ground beef, 1 onion finely diced, 3 handfuls of cleaned and washed rice, 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste (domates salçası), 2 handfuls of chopped parsley, 1 pinch each of dried mint and black pepper, 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) of salt, and 1 tea glass of water (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp), then mix everything together. Cut the tops off 6 eggplants, wash them, and cut each in half lengthwise. Hollow out the inside of each half. Fill them with the prepared mixture and arrange them in a pot whose bottom has been coated with 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) of tomato paste, positioning them so they won't tip over. Place 1 tablespoon of margarine between the eggplants. Add water up to halfway up the eggplants, add a pinch of salt to the water, and cook until the eggplants are tender. Serve with yogurt. Enjoy…
About This Recipe
Eggplant is a vegetable that grows in tropical climates. It is known to have first been cultivated around India in the 5th century BC. Having since gradually spread throughout the world, eggplant is a particularly beloved food in the Eastern Mediterranean countries.
Botanical dictionaries describe eggplant as "an annual in temperate climates and a long-lived cultivated plant that grows continuously as a small tree in tropical climates." In certain regions of Europe, eggplant was historically avoided for many years on the grounds that it caused madness, and even health problems such as leprosy, cancer, and bad breath. So it is fair to say that its entry into European cuisines — Italy in particular — is relatively recent, contrary to what many might assume. In fact, eggplant has a neutral flavor, is botanically not particularly distinctive compared to other vegetables, and doesn't have a huge variety of cultivars. Yet it is both the pride of Indian cuisine, one of the most exotic in the world, and an indispensable part of Mediterranean food culture. Eggplant ranks near the top of the world's most popular "edible plants." After India, the regions where it is consumed most are the Mediterranean countries — especially Turkey — followed by East Asian countries and Latin America.
We won't always be eating Stuffed Peppers, of course. Today we've prepared our Stuffed Eggplant (Patlıcan Dolması) recipe for you. Enjoy the cooking…
