Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant

Name: Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 10-12 dried eggplants (dolmalik patlican); 1 large brown onion; ¼ cup natural yoghurt; 1 tablespoon tahini; 50g fine burghul; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 small clove garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses; 1 teaspoon sweet biber salçası; 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon strained lemon juice; 2 teaspoons tomato paste

Strings of hollowed small eggplants drying in the sun are a common sight in eastern Turkey. Hollowing and drying summer vegetables to store for stuffing throughout the winter is a specialty of the south-eastern town of Gaziantep. Their strings of eggplant for making turkish stuffed dried eggplant, along with zucchini and capsicum, are sold all over the world. You may have to visit a specifically Turkish grocery store to get the dried eggplants – though some larger Middle Eastern stores may carry them. In Sydney, the best Turkish grocery store is Gima Supermarket in Auburn. If you can’t find dolmalik patlican (dried hollowed eggplants), use small fresh oval eggplants – just cut off the top and hollow out the centre. Serve kuru patlıcan dolması with a parsley salad (see video below) and a soft chilled red like the stunning nero d’Avola from Chrissie Smith’s Intrepidus Wines in Canberra.

Serves 2

Ingredients

10-12 dried eggplants (dolmalik patlican)
1 large brown onion
¼ cup natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon tahini
Parsley Salad, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving
Ground sumac, for sprinkling

Stuffing

50g fine burghul
¼ cup cold water
1 small brown onion, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon sweet biber salçası
1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon salt flakes, crushed
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Cooking Liquid

1 cup water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon strained lemon juice
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sweet biber salçası

Method

Make Stuffing: Combine burghul and water in a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine well.
Put eggplants in a bowl, cover with warm water and set aside for 10 minutes or so, until rehydrated.
Meanwhile, make Cooking Liquid: Whisk all ingredients together.
Cut the bottom off the onion and sit it in the centre of a small saucepan.
Drain the soaked eggplants well.
Pack the Stuffing into the eggplants, filling them about three-quarters full, and place them around the onion in the pan with the open end facing up (using the onion to create a snug fit).
Pour Cooking Liquid around the eggplants and over the onion.
Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile stir yoghurt and tahini together with enough water to give a thick drizzling consistency. Set aside.
Transfer eggplant to a serving bowl, with onion in the centre.
Drizzle eggplant with a little of the yoghurt mixture.
Serve with Parsley Salad, bread and remaining yoghurt mixture sprinkled with sumac.