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Alinazik

A smoky eggplant puree topped with juicy kebab pieces. A delicious take on a classic Turkish dish, so good!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 398kcal
Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb ground beef 250 g
  • 1/2 lb ground lamb 250 g
  • 1/2 onion, grated or pulsed in a food processor
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • small handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 teaspoon seven spice or all spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch red chili flakes

For the sauce:

  • 25 g butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste

For the eggplant puree:

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large eggplants
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • salt to taste, about 1/4-1/2 tsp

Instructions

For the meat and the sauce:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F (180C).
    Add all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well until combined. You can use gloved hands or a spoon to mix. I prefer using hands!
  • Form the meat mixture into oblong meatball shapes as pictured. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cooked through.
  • In the video, you'll see I added the kafta to a skillet and just browned them a little more to get a little bit of the flavor from the meat into the sauce, this is optional. If doing so, remove the kafta from the pan after they brown.
  • Add the butter, garlic, coriander powder, paprika powder to the pan and stir until butter melts. Add the tomato paste and stir, letting the mixture bubble for about 30 seconds. The sauce is ready! Set aside.

For the eggplant puree:

  • Heat oven to 400 F (205C). Place whole eggplants directly on a baking sheet close to the oven broiler. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning over halfway through until eggplant is completely soft and wrinkly and tender, then remove from the oven. Let eggplant cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin in strips.
  • Add all the ingredients for the eggplant puree, into a bowl of a food processor or you can mix by hand. Process until combined, but with a little texture. If doing this by hand, chop the eggplant and stir in all the other ingredients.

To Assemble:

  • Add the eggplant puree to your serving plate. Top with the kafta kabab, as many pieces as you like. Drizzle the sauce on top evenly, and garnish with chopped parsley or coriander or diced green bell pepper, and enjoy with pita bread!

Notes

You don't need to use all the amount of kafta you prepare to top the eggplant puree with, it freezes very well for up to 3 months.
I'd recommend assembling right before eating. The components like the eggplant puree, sauce, and meat can be stored separately in the fridge for 1-2 days before assembling.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal