Islim Kebabı (Aubergine Meatball Wraps)

5 from 7 votes

This delicious Mediterranean aubergine dish is packed with flavors and perfect for entertaining your dinner guests.

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: pieces

Calories: 86kcal

4 aubergines - eggplants (medium size, preferably long ones to create long stripes)
sunflower oil (amount depends on the pan that you will fry the aubergine stripes)

1 lbs minced beef (450 grams)
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 large white onion (finely chopped, preferably with a food processor or a grater)
3 cloves of garlic (preferably finely diced with a food processor or a garlic press)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder

Wash the eggplants and dry them with a paper towel.
Peel the eggplants vertically in a zebra pattern. Do not completely peel them.
Slice the eggplants vertically. Make sure each stripe is dry before frying it to avoid oil splashing. Set them aside.
Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan.
Fry each side of the eggplant stripes until they get slightly brown.
Place the fried eggplants on paper towels to get rid of the excess oil. Set them aside.

Place the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and paprika into a deep mixing bowl.
Mix them with your hands until all ingredients are well combined, and knead for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Divide a little piece from the mixture and roll it into a meatball the size of a walnut (these meatballs should be able to fit into aubergine wraps. Depending on the size of your eggplant stripes, you can make the meatballs slightly bigger or smaller).
Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil.
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).

In a bowl or glass mix the tomato paste and the water until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare the cherry tomatoes and green peppers by cutting the tomatoes in half and slicing the peppers into chunks. Set them aside on a plate, as we will put them on skewers to secure the eggplant wraps.
Lay 2 fried eggplant stripes on top of each other to form a cross and place one meatball in the middle.
Bring the first one end of the eggplants up to the top, and then, in turn, the other three ends to form a wrap.
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.
Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
Nicely arrange the eggplant wraps in a baking dish.
Gently pour the tomato sauce on the eggplant wraps using a spoon. Do not pour the sauce directly on the wraps, as this will cause them to fall over in the dish.
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.
Give 5 minutes to cool down before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with buttery Turkish rice pilaf.

Try to pick the longer eggplants as they will allow you to make longer stripes. It is necessary to form long strips to wrap around meatballs easily.
You should be careful when frying your eggplant strips. They are very delicate and cook quite easily. If you over-fry them, you may end up with soggy and soft stripes, which will make the process of assembly very difficult, if not impossible.
Keep in mind that the aubergines will further cook in the oven, so don't worry if they don't look fully cooked after frying. It is enough for them to slightly turn golden. Usually, frying each side of the eggplant stripes for 2-3 minutes is sufficient.
The ideal meat should have a minimum of %20 fat (ideally %30) for soft and delicious koftes. Using lean meat will make the meatballs dry and tough.
When shaping the meatballs, wet your palm with a bit of water to avoid the meatballs sticking to your hand.
The leftovers would keep refrigerated for up to five days and frozen for up to five months when stored in an airtight container.