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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Karniyarik with rice pilaf

Karniyarik is a Turkish dish of split eggplants stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, and peppers, served with rice pilaf. This recipe serves 4, takes 70 minutes, and is rated medium difficulty, for about €2.90 per person. The key to success is draining the eggplants well and reducing the filling until it's no longer watery.

Tonight it's karniyarik, those eggplants split open like bellies, stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, and peppers.

Karniyarik with rice pilaf
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Karniyarik literally means split belly, and that's exactly what it is, an eggplant browned in oil then opened up to hold a ground beef filling simmered with onion, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes. The eggplant flesh turns soft and almost creamy, a nice contrast to the filling, which keeps some bite from the diced vegetables.

This is a dish to make when you have a bit of time on your hands, a Sunday or a relaxed evening, since it takes several steps before it even goes in the oven. Kids tend to like it, the ground beef and buttered rice feel familiar, and whole stuffed eggplants always look a little impressive on the table.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggplants 4
  • Onion 2
  • Green pepper 2
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Butcher

  • Ground beef 400 g

Pantry

  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 20 g

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the eggplants in stripes and let them soak in salted water, then pat them dry well. 20 min

    Dry them very thoroughly, leftover water makes the oil spatter.

  2. Brown the whole eggplants on all sides in hot oil, then drain them on paper towels. 12 min

    They should be golden and soft but not fully cooked through.

  3. Sauté the onion, garlic, and one diced pepper, then add the meat, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and parsley. 15 min

    Let the filling reduce well, it shouldn't be watery.

  4. Split each eggplant lengthwise without cutting all the way through, place them in a baking dish, stuff with the filling, and top with strips of green pepper.

    Press gently to open the belly, without breaking the ends.

  5. Pour a glass of water into the bottom of the dish and bake at 180°C. Prepare the buttered rice while it cooks. 30 min

    Cook the rice on the stovetop with the butter and double the amount of salted water.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick eggplants that are similar in size and not too large, they cook more evenly and split more easily without breaking.
  • Drain the diced tomatoes well before adding them to the filling, otherwise the extra liquid makes the stuffing too wet and it runs out of the eggplants while baking.
  • If your oven takes a while to heat up, preheat it while you make the filling, that saves time within the 70 minutes.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground lamb for a stronger flavor, common in some Turkish versions of this dish.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with cooked red lentils and rice, keeping the same vegetables and spices.
  • To save time, cut the eggplants in half lengthwise instead of frying them whole, then bake them directly with the filling.

What to serve it with

  • Buttered rice pilaf, already part of the recipe
  • Plain yogurt or a cucumber dip
  • Fresh tomato and cucumber salad

Storage

Karniyarik keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well once cooked, reheat it in the oven or a skillet with a splash of water so it doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you make karniyarik ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the filling and brown the eggplants the day before, then assemble and bake just before serving. The finished dish also reheats well the next day.

Do you really need to soak the eggplants in salted water?

Yes, that's the key trick in this recipe. Soaked eggplants absorb much less oil when fried, giving a lighter, less greasy texture.

Can you use a different pepper instead of green?

Yes, a red or yellow pepper works well and adds a bit more sweetness. The flavor shifts slightly but the texture stays the same.

Can the rice pilaf be made differently?

You can swap the butter for olive oil for a lighter flavor. Some cooks also toast vermicelli noodles in the rice before cooking, as is traditional in Turkey.

How long does it take to make a karniyarik with rice pilaf?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a karniyarik with rice pilaf?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a karniyarik with rice pilaf cost?

About €2.90 per serving, or €11.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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