Patlıcan Kebabı — Aubergine and Meatball Kebab

Slices of grilled aubergine layered with spiced lamb meatballs, baked with tomatoes and peppers.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 large aubergines, cut into 1.5cm slices
  • 500g lamb mince
  • 1 onion, grated and squeezed dry
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt, plus extra for the aubergine
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 long green peppers, halved
  • 1 tbsp Turkish tomato paste (domates salçası) or tomato purée
  • 250ml hot water

Method

  1. Salt the aubergine slices, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Brush with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and grill or griddle for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden.

  2. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Mix the lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, 1 tsp salt and pepper together and shape into 12 flat oval patties. Fry in the remaining oil for 2 minutes per side until browned.

  3. Arrange the aubergine slices and meatballs in an overlapping line in a baking dish, with the tomato slices and pepper halves between them.

  4. Whisk the tomato paste into the hot water with a pinch of salt and pour over the dish.

  5. Bake for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is reduced. Serve with rice or bread.