My husband managed to grow the most beautiful eggplants this summer – long, slender, and deep-purple Japanese – and plenty of them. Immediately, I knew what to do with the first crop: my native Azerbaijan’s stuffed eggplants!
While American cookery is not big on eggplants, they are a major staple back home, and most people really enjoy them in one form or another – especially this one here.
I so do love this dish – flavorful, meaty, and ultimately “summer.” Serve it with some good bread and a simple salad (I favor sliced tomatoes and cucumbers).
Azerbaijani-Style Stuffed Eggplants
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2/3 cup of uncooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional – I was out of onions and didn’t use it)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 chopped fresh basil (do not substitute dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Montreal Steak Seasoning or salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- vegetable oil, for browning the meat
- 10-14 slender Japanese eggplants, depending on size
- plain yogurt mixed with a little crushed garlic, for serving
1. Trim the leafy caps from the eggplants.
2. Using a paring knife, make a deep, long incision in the inner curve of each eggplant (so it resembles a boat), leaving about an inch on both sides of the incision uncut. Be sure to not cut all the way to the bottom.
3. Use a teaspoon to gently scoop out some of the eggplant’s fleshy inside, just enough to hold about 3 tablespoons or so of filling.
4. Brown the meat and the optional onions in a little bit of oil. Stir in the garlic and saute for an additional minute, if using. Stir in the tomato paste.
5. Add the rice, Montreal Steak Seasoning/salt and pepper, chopped herbs, cinnamon, and ginger to the meat mixture. Stir everything well.
6. Fill the eggplants with the mixture and place them side-by-side in a dutch oven in one or two layers, depending on your pot’s size.
7. Add enough water to almost cover the eggplants and throw in the butter. Bring everything to a gentle simmer and continue simmering for an hour, or until the meat and the eggplants are completely tender (some of the filling might escape during the cooking – be sure to serve it alongside the eggplants).
8. Serve hot with some of the cooking liquid and topped with plain yogurt or yogurt-and-garlic mixture, as well as plenty of fresh, crusty bread (such as this no-knead) to soak up the cooking liquid. Leave nothing to the enemy!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Is the rice in your ingredient list cooked or uncooked?
Julia in West Des Moines, IA recently posted..The kitchen sink
If it was cooked I would say so, wouldn’t I?
OK Sofya, was just at the local store & they had locally grown eggplant, but I was undecided on what to make (did not plant any of my own this year).
Will try this later this week. I am curious about simmering them in the water; I’ve never done that with eggplant before. I figure the water, the butter, the seasoning…it will all be good. & I just made a gallon of fresh yogurt (we eat A LOT)
Yum, that looks delicious… I bet it would go great with a crust rye loaf.
mamadragon recently posted..Playing in the waves
It sure would! I love rye bread, but never managed to make it really well.
Hi Sofia, would you happen to have a recipe or a link to the good recipe of Aubergine “Caviar” or Badimjan Pastasy or Baklajanovaya Ikra the way they make it in Baku? Thanks in advance
I agree with Natalia ,i would love to know how to make baklazhanovaya ikra Azerbadjani style too ! Its always nice to have the original recipe !Ty Ty
Sure thing, here is how I used to make it in my youth:
4 eggplants (medium-sized)
3-4 tomatoes
2 onions, chopped
Grill the tomatoes and the eggplants, or just put them in a hot cast-iron skillet set over medium heat without any oil and watch them char and soften.
Remove from heat and let them cool on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh from the eggplants discarding the charred skin (a few charred chunks of skin in the caviar are fine, imo). Chop roughly.
Peel the now charred tomatoes and remove the core, chop roughly.
Saute the onions slightly in oil, then add more oil and the rest of the ingredients. Let everything saute together for 30 min, stirring very frequently, uncovered (you might need to add more oil while it’s cooking to prevent it from burning).
Add salt to taste and that’s that!
I would use something like a wide saute pan or a dutch oven for this, or a cast-iron skillet.
Alternatively, just mixed chopped roasted eggplants, tomatoes, and sauteed onions together and serve.