344. Baked Eggplant Kebabs

Turkish food is vivid in its flavor, color, and presentation.
It can range from the complex list of ingredients and method to the simplest ever, both yielding the most luscious and succulent dishes.
This recipe, which I picked up from the fantastic Turkish blog aptly named My Turkish Kitchen, is one of the most impressive, delicious, and simplest dishes to make.

Meatballs are alternately arranged in a dish with eggplant (aubergine) slices, and baked.
Serve along with a grain carb and a simple salad, and you've got yourself a showstopper dish.

Ingredients:

6 Japanese eggplants (aubergines)
2 large tomatoes
500g minced mutton or beef
1 Tbsp onion powder (or 1 finely chopped onion)
1 tsp garlic powder (or 5 grated garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:

Put the ground meat, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and knead it until well combined.
Cover with stretch film and let it rest for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator.
At the end of resting time, take the mixture out and knead it one more time.
Take small part of the mixture (about the size of pecan) and make small meatballs.
Wash and cut the end of eggplants.
Slice them into 1-inch thick rounds.
In an 11-inch round baking dish, place one eggplant slice and then one meatball side by side until the dish is filled, starting from outer side of the dish.
Place tomato slices on to kebab.
Preheat the oven 450F and bake it for 45 minutes or until the eggplants are tender.

 صحة و عافية