Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab
Patlican Kebabi (Eggplant/Aubergine Kebab) is a traditional Turkish baked kebab dish consisting of juicy meatballs layered alternately with sliced eggplants.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 437kcal
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 (25 cm) dia oven dish
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lbs ground meat (450 grams)
- 1 medium onion (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large tomato (grated)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cups water
Vegetables for Patlican Kebabi
- 1 large tomato (cut in 6 wedges)
- 3 Turkish green peppers or 1 bell pepper or 1 red Romano pepper (cut in chunky pieces)
- 1 lbs eggplants (450 grams)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preparing the Meatballs
- Place the ground beef, tomato paste, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, flaked chili, 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 them into a meatball the size of a walnut, as large as your aubergine/eggplant slices. Slightly flatten them and set them aside. Wet your fingers when shaping meatballs to avoid them sticking.
Preparing the Tomato Sauce
- Grate one large tomato and place it into a bowl.
- Add the tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, pepper, and water.
- Mix all until nicely combined and set it aside.
Preparing the Vegetables
- Slice the eggplants and drizzle on two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the eggplants and give a good mix until they all are covered with olive oil and salt. Set them aside.
- Divide one large tomato into six or eight wedges (depending on the size) and cut the peppers into chunks.
Build the Patlican Kebab
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F) and have a round baking dish size of 23cm (9") diameter near you.
- Place a slice of eggplant upright and place a meatball alongside. Continue layering meatballs and eggplant in your dish until you’ve used all of the meat. Make sure the eggplants and meatballs are layered quite tightly, so they can stay upright.
- Arrange the tomato wedges and peppers around the meatballs and eggplants, and then pour the tomato sauce over.
- Cover the dish with tin foil and bake it for an hour.
- Remove the cover and bake for another 50 minutes to an hour, until the meatballs and vegetables are cooked and slightly charred.
Notes
- You can assemble the eggplants and the meatballs on skewers and cook them over BBQ during the summer.
- A 30% fat-to-meat ratio is ideal for juicy meatballs. Using lean mince will make them dry and tough. If you want to use lean mince, you should add some fat or oil to the mixture.
- Wet your fingers when shaping meatballs to avoid them sticking.
- The leftovers would keep for up to five days refrigerated or up to three months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1304mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1310IU | Vitamin C: 92mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg