Name: Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant and Peppers
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 3 medium onions, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons dried mint; Yogurt and Garlic Sauce; ½ teaspoon ground coriander; 12 dried sour prunes or dried sour yellow plums (see Sources); 1 dozen dried sweet red peppers (see Sources); 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 8 ounces lean ground lamb; 1 tablespoon Turkish or Aleppo pepper flakes; 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 4 teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons sweet Turkish red pepper paste; 24 dried eggplants (see Sources); ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1⅓ cups coarse bulgur (8 ounces); 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or slivered fresh Teleme cheese; 2 tablespoons tomato paste, canned or homemade

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

By Paula Wolfert

Published 2009

About

My friend Ayfer Ünsal is a self-assured cook whose recipes often tread the culinary edge. She has an uncanny knack for discovering some of the most interesting and delectable Turkish dishes. Here she uses dried eggplants and peppers, which probably don’t sound very appealing, but which, after rehydration and cooking, render one of the best stuffed vegetable dishes you’ll ever eat.

Serve warm with a bowl of yogurt and garlic sauce.