Publication: May 2025, Issue #19

Earlier this year, I had the chance to collaborate with Universal Yums, a company known for its global snack boxes, as they prepared to launch their Turkey-themed box. They wanted to highlight recipes and stories from the region and I was thrilled to help bring that to life. While I’ve managed brand partnerships from the food PR side, it was a refreshing shift to step into the creative role—developing recipes, producing videos and sharing the flavors of Turkish cuisine. This Karnıyarık recipe was one I created especially for the project.

Behold Karnıyarık, a recipe for stuffed eggplant that earns its spot as a culinary staple in Turkey. Silky, roasted eggplant boats are filled with a rich, spiced ground lamb and beef mixture, creating a flavor-packed bite of umami. Swap the ground meat with cooked lentils or sautéed mushrooms for a meatless option.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Prep + Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large deep purple globe eggplants (about 7 inches long)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 Turkish Sivri Biber, seeds removed and chopped

• 1/2 lb ground beef 80/20

• 1/2 lb ground lamb

• 1 clove garlic, finely diced

• 1.5 cups grated tomatoes, use a box grater

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped; reserve some parsley for garnish

• 3/4 cup hot water

• 2 tablespoons Turkish red pepper paste

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

2. Wash and dry the eggplants. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and poke 10 holes in each with a fork on all sides of the eggplant.

3. Roast the eggplants in the oven for 60 minutes, turning them once or twice for even cooking. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

4. While the eggplants roast, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add onion and pepper until translucent. Then add ground beef, ground lamb and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

5. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the beef is cooked. Stir in chopped parsley and remove from heat.

6. Mix the hot water and Turkish red pepper paste and combine thoroughly.

7. Place the eggplants in a large casserole dish. Use a knife to cut a slit lengthwise down the center of each eggplant.

8. Fill the slits with the beef/lamb mixture. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the red pepper paste and water mixture over each eggplant and pour the rest into the dish. Garnish with half-moon tomato slices.

9. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

10. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm. You can serve this alongside Turkish rice or potatoes.

Full karnıyarık preparation video below.

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