Stewed Eggplant and Tomatoes. This is a recipe for a local dish originating from Gaziantep/Turkey. It is often made especially in the summer months. As you can guess, the main ingredients of this dish are tomatoes and eggplants.
Basically, it is prepared by cooking sliced tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in olive oil or butter along with various spices with some water. It is a recipe that is super easy to make. This dish can be made with or without meat, depending on your preference. I made it with minced meat, so it was a protein-rich meal that kept you full for longer.
Turkish Style Stew with Fresh Eggplant and Tomatoes
Gaziantep cuisine is well known not only in Turkey but also around the world, with its rich and diverse food culture. Although Gaziantep is the city of baklavas and kebabs, local stews here are also very famous among Turks. Eggplant and tomato stew stands out as a very delicious local dish, even though it is prepared with simple ingredients.
It is very important that the tomatoes are of good quality. Because tomato is one of the main ingredients in this dish and is used abundantly. If the tomatoes are tasteless and colorless, the food will be both tasteless and unappealing to the eye. In Antep style we make this stew using fresh green pepper, garlic, onion and mutton along with eggplant and tomatoes. You can omit the meat from the recipe and turn it into a vegan dish. You can serve it with bread, bulgur or rice pilaf as a complement.
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In Gaziantep, especially in the summer months when fresh tomatoes are abundant, we make this recipe a lot. Since it is a vegetable-based recipe, it is easy to digest. If you use meat, it will also be rich in protein and keep you full longer.
If you want a light meal which is easy to digest, this recipe is perfect for you. It is usually served hot, but it is thicker and more aromatic when cold. It’s up to your preference. It becomes a very balanced meal when served with ayran or tzatziki.
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Ingredients:
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes
- 3 eggplants (if large, use 2)
- 3 green peppers
- 1 medium sized onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup of olive oil
- Salt, black pepper, chili pepper
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of pepper paste
- 200-300 grams of minced mutton or beef (optional)
- ¾ cup boiling water
How to Make Stewed Eggplant and Tomatoes
Step 1: Wash the tomatoes and peel them. Then, chop into cubes. Using skinless tomatoes gives the dish a smooth texture. If it is winter, I recommend using tomato sauce (preferably homemade) instead.
Step 2: Chop the onions and green peppers. Finely chop the garlic.
Step 3: Peel the eggplants strip by strip. Then chop it into cubes as well.
Step 4: Heat the pan and add olive oil. First, saute the onions until they turn slightly pink. Then add garlic and peppers. Cook for a few more minutes.
Step 5: If you are going to use minced meat, add it to the roasted onions and cook until the meat releases its juices. (Since I used it from the freezer, I roasted the ground meat first and then added the vegetables)
Step 6: Add tomato paste, which is indispensable for most meals in Antep cuisine. Then sprinkle salt, black pepper and chili pepper if you like it hot.
Step 7: Add the last chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce to the pot. Add 3/4 cup of boiling water to cook the vegetables well. Cover the pot and bring it to boil. Cook over low heat until all the vegetables soften.
Bon appetit!
Stewed Eggplant and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes (medium sized)
- 3 eggplants (if large, use 2)
- 3 green peppers
- 1 medium sized onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp chili pepper (optional)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp pepper paste (you can use more tomato paste instead)
- 200-300 g minced mutton or beef (optional)
- ¾ cup boiling water
Instructions
- Peel the skins of the tomatoes. Then, chop it into cubes.
- Also chop the onions and green peppers. Finely chop the garlic.
- Peel the eggplants into strips. Then chop it into cubes.
- Heat the pan and add olive oil. First, saute the onions until they turn slightly pink. Then add garlic and peppers. Cook for a few more minutes.
- If you are going to use minced meat, add it to the roasted onions and cook until the meat releases its juices.
- Add tomato paste. Then sprinkle salt, black pepper and chili pepper if you like it hot.
- Add the last chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce to the pot. Add 3/4 cup of boiling water to cook the vegetables well. Cover the pot and bring it to boil. Cook over low heat until all the vegetables soften.