Eggplant Casserole Kebab (Güveçte Patlıcan Kebabı)

Patiently and with unending questions, I watched and noted down all the details of this casserole dish. Eggplant is one of the most common food in Turkey, so I had the chance to try out many eggplant recipes of Turkish cuisine. I may as well state now that the best and foremost is a creamy eggplant dish called Hünkar Beğendi (Sultan's Delight) However, the casserole gives a special touch to food. That is why whatever is baked in that large pot comes out a wonder.

Ingredients

1 lb lamb cubes, washed

6 medium sized eggplants

4 tomatoes, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 onion, chopped

6-7 sweet peppers, chopped

½ cup of water

½ tbsp tomato paste

½ tbsp red pepper paste 

1 tsp sugar

½ tbsp butter

salt

 














 Instructions

- Peel the eggplants either completely or in stripes, and chop into 1 inch cubes.

- Soak the chopped cubes in salt water for 30 minutes to let them draw out the bitterness.

- Cook the onions and butter in a pan in low heat. When the onions turn lightly brown, add the lamb cubes and keep cooking until they change color. 
- Add the tomato and pepper pastes, cook and stir them for another minute before removing the pan from heat.

- Drain and rinse the eggplants. (If you want you can fry them at this point for better taste)

- Place the eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, lamb cube mixture, water, garlic, sugar and salt into your casserole dish and cover the lid with a foil so that the steam does not escape.

- Bake it on the middle rack of a 390 F preheated oven for 2 hours and 10 minutes.