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Stuffed Eggplant

Soft roasted eggplants filled with a savory meat mixture and baked in a simple tomato sauce until tender and flavorful. A warm, satisfying dish that pairs beautifully with rice, yogurt, or fresh bread.
Shared notes will appear here.
Everyday Cooking
Mediterranean, Turkish
Kitchen Pace : 🕒🕒
Servings: 8
Recipe by NAVA Kitchen
Stuffed eggplants baked in tomato sauce with sliced tomatoes and green peppers in a light ceramic baking dish.
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Ingredients:

Eggplants
  • 8 small eggplants
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
  • Salt
Beef Filling
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 onion, small, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tomato, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 long green pepper, finely diced
  • 3 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Topping
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced into half moons
  • 4 long green peppers, sliced lengthwise
Tomato Sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 tbsp tomato sauce
  • ½ tsp salt

Method:

Start Cooking
Roast the Eggplants
  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Peel the eggplants in stripes, leaving some skin on.
  • Cut a shallow slit lengthwise down the center of each eggplant, about halfway deep, without cutting all the way through.
  • Brush the eggplants with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
  • Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Roast for 30–35 minutes, until softened.
Prepare the Filling
  • Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened.
  • Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon.
  • Stir in: garlic, diced tomato, diced green pepper, tomato sauce, paprika, salt and black pepper.
  • Cook for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
Assemble the Eggplants
  • Transfer the roasted eggplants to a baking dish.
  • Using a spoon, gently press along the slit in each roasted eggplant to open it and create a pocket for the filling.
  • Fill each eggplant with the beef mixture.
  • Top each with two tomato slices and a strip of green pepper.
Add the Sauce
  • In a small bowl, mix: 2 cups water, 6 tbsp tomato sauce, salt.
  • Pour the sauce around the eggplants in the baking dish until it reaches about ½–1 inch up the sides of the eggplants.
  • If you have extra filling, spread it around the eggplants in the dish.
Bake and Serve
  • Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30–35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the eggplants are very tender.
  • About halfway through baking, spoon some of the sauce from the dish over the eggplants so they stay moist and absorb more flavor.
  • Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm with rice, yogurt, or fresh bread. Bon appétit.

Kitchen Tools:

Notes:

From the kitchen
  • Choose small or medium eggplants if possible; they are more tender and less seedy.
  • If small eggplants are difficult to find, simply cut larger eggplants in half lengthwise and prepare them the same way.
  • Roasting the eggplants instead of frying, the traditional method, keeps the dish lighter while still allowing them to soften and absorb flavor. In the classic version, whole eggplants are shallow-fried in oil until softened before being stuffed and baked in tomato sauce, if you prefer that method.
 
Make it yours
  • Replace ground beef with ground lamb, turkey, or a plant-based alternative.
  • Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper for gentle heat.
  • Mix a little tomato paste into the filling for deeper tomato flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with lentils, mushrooms, or a mix of sautéed vegetables.
  • Sprinkle a little crumbled feta or yogurt sauce on top when serving.
 
At the table

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Nutrition:

Calories: 349 kcal | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 41 mg | Sodium: 249 mg | Potassium: 1397 mg | Fiber: 16 g | Sugar: 20 g | Vitamin A: 709 IU | Vitamin C: 24 mg | Calcium: 67 mg | Iron: 3 mg
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