Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the eggplants, cut off the stem ends and slice them 1 cm thick. Layer the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with the salt, and leave them to draw out water so that they absorb less oil when fried.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice them 7 mm thick. Peel one onion and grate it finely, then squeeze the grated onion firmly in a tea towel; peel the other two onions and cut them into rings. Finely chop the parsley, cut the peppers into rings and the tomatoes into slices, and peel and finely chop the garlic.

3. 3

   Knead the minced lamb, grated onion, parsley, salt, pepper and baharat together thoroughly in a bowl. With moistened hands, shape about 20 walnut-sized balls and place them on a plate.

4. 4

   Pat the eggplant slices thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the slices in batches until golden brown on both sides, then drain them on kitchen paper.

5. 5

   In the remaining oil, fry the potato slices in batches until pale golden on both sides — they do not need to be cooked through yet — and drain them as well.

6. 6

   Put the meatballs in the pan and brown them briefly all over until they have taken on colour on the outside; they will finish cooking inside later in the oven.

7. 7

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C top and bottom heat. For the sauce, stir the tomato paste, pepper paste, garlic and salt into the hot water until smooth.

8. 8

   In a baking dish of about 30 × 20 cm, stand the vegetable slices at an angle in overlapping rows like roof tiles, alternating eggplant, potato, tomato, onion and pepper. Press the meatballs into the gaps and between the rows and pour the sauce evenly over the top; the vegetables should be about two thirds submerged in the sauce.

9. 9

   Cover the dish with aluminium foil or a fitting lid and leave to braise on the middle shelf.

10. 10

    Remove the foil and continue cooking uncovered until the potatoes are tender, the sauce has thickened and the surface is lightly browned at the edges.

11. 11

    Cut open a meatball: it should be cooked through with no pink and reach 70 °C in the centre; otherwise cook for a few more minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, let it rest briefly and lift the food onto plates in square portions.

12. 12

    Tip: Serve with Birinc bi şehriye — White Rice with Toasted Vermicelli and fresh flatbread for mopping up the sauce. The eggplants can be made with less fat by brushing the slices with oil and baking them on a baking tray at 220 °C top and bottom heat on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes until golden brown and soft. Minced beef can be used instead of minced lamb.