STUFFED EGGPLANT KEBAB: BEEF-STUFFED AND BAKED EGGPLANTS

Full recipe and directions for STUFFED EGGPLANT KEBAB

Ingredients (makes 5-6 servings of 2 pieces)
1kg (10-12, small-sized) eggplants
2 cups of olive oil (for frying)
1-1.5 cups of water (for baking)

For the Stuffing:
1 kg beef (or veal)
150 g green (cubanelle sweet) peppers
1 large onion
1 whole garlic head
1+1 cups homemade tomato sauce*
1 tbsp pepper paste
cup olive oil
1-2 daphne leaves
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp sweet red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)

For the Puree:
2 large potatoes
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
tsp ground black pepper
tsp salt

(*) You can also use 2 tbsp of tomato paste or 2 tomatoes instead of the sauce

Directions

PREPARATION
Wash 2 potatoes and place them into a small pot
Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are completely submerged
Set the heat to medium-high, and place the pot onto the stove
Once the water boils, cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with fork
Turn off the stove, drain the excess water, and set the potatoes aside to cool down
Peel the onion and the garlic cloves, then rinse them, thoroughly
Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves, set them aside
Wash the peppers, discard its stem and seeds
Then, dice the flesh into small pieces, set aside

Choose medium-fat veal (or beef) shank for the best result
Wash and drain the meat
Dice the meat into 1x1 cm pieces, then, set aside

COOKING THE STUFFING
Pour cup of olive oil into a medium-sized pot
Add the onion and garlic and saut them for 3-4 minutes on medium heat
As the onions become translucent, add the diced meat, stir the meat until its colour turns brown and its juice is completely reduced
Then, add 1 cup of tomato sauce, 1 tbsp of pepper paste, 1 tbsp pf red pepper flakes, 1 tsp of ground black pepper, 1 tsp of coriander, and 1 tsp of salt, mix the ingredients then add 2 dry daphne leaves
Once the mixture begins boiling again, cover the pot with a lid, lower the heat and cook the stuffing for 1 hour
After cooking 1 hour in the sauce, the meat will be soft and tender
Now, turn off the stove, take the daphne leaves out, add the diced green peppers, (Pomegranate molasse if you like sour taste), cover with the lid, and let the stuffing cool down to room temperature for easy working

EGGPLANTS
Fill a large bowl halfway with water and dissolve 1-2 tsp of salt
Wash the eggplants, and peel their skin in alternating black and white strips
Core the eggplants to clean their seeds and to make room for the stuffing
Then, submerge the eggplants in the salted water as you work through the patch
This is to prevent browning and to remove their bitter taste (~30 minutes of soaking is enough)
As soon as the eggplants release their bitterness and the salted water turns brown, thoroughly drain their water
Make sure that the eggplants are completely dry before placing them in hot oil!...
Dry them with a towel if you are short on time
Pour 2 cups of olive oil into a wok and heat it until the surface of the oil begins to ripple slightly (takes about 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat)
Place the fried eggplants on a rack to drain the excess oil
This will also let them cool down for easy stuffing

STUFFING THE EGGPLANTS
Make sure the stuffing mix is thoroughly combined and all the ingredients are evenly distributed
Then, gently fill the fried eggplants with the delicious stuffing
While filling the eggplants, lightly press down as you add more stuffing to avoid air pockets
Place the Stuffed Eggplants into an oven-safe container
I also stuffed some peppers to make use of the leftover stuffing
You can stuff tomatoes and potatoes, just as well

POTATO PUREE
Peel and dice the boiled potatoes into a bowl
Add 1 egg white, tsp of salt, tsp of ground black pepper, and 2 tbsp of olive oil
Puree/blend the ingredients until you achieve a smooth texture
Cover each stuffed eggplant with some potato puree and coat with the egg yolk
Add 1-2 cups of water into the oven-safe container (until the eggplants are sitting in ~1 cm (1/2 inch) of water

Note: You can divide the preparation works into 2 days. Since eggplants and stuffing is cooked already, baking can be last minutes, so you can enjoy an easy dinner party!

BAKING
Preheat the oven to 400 F (or 200 C), and bake the eggplants for 30 minutes
The Stuffed Eggplant Kebab is ready to serve!

SERVING
Serve the Stuffed Eggplant Kebab hot
Mix the cooking juice with the remaining cup of tomato sauce and use it as the serving sauce
Simple, steamed vegetables or plain Pilav goes perfectly with Beef-Stuffed Eggplants!
A symphony of well-seasoned veal stuffing encased in a cloud of tender eggplantwith the melt-in-your-mouth texture and the warming spices; this is a flavour experience you will not forget!
Spoil yourself, and prepare to be amazed!...and surprise others,too!
Indulge yourself!

Fairies Cuisine
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