recipes featured only eggplant; in others, lamb was the star. On occasion, both
ingredients ended up in the same pot.
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| Lamb-stuffed eggplant with Bulgur Pilaf |
When I spoke with my sister the other night, we discussed
our first introductions to ‘Beyli Baghli’ or ‘Imam Bayildi’, stuffed eggplant
dishes. My sister recalled the first time she tasted this concoction was
when her Armenian mother-in-law, originally from Bursa, Turkey, prepared it. My
first sampling was prepared by my mother-in-law, whose Armenian roots came from
both Kharpert and Dikranagerd.
Dikranagerd Mystique Armenian Cookbook’.
This recipe also appears in ‘The Assyrian Cookbook’, a compilation of recipes
very similar to foods of Dikranagerd. So, is this a Dikrangerdtzi dish?
introduced to this through our mothers-in-law? We don’t know for sure. Perhaps
because the Armenian dishes we grew up eating were mainly influenced from our
maternal grandmother’s Musa (Ler) Daghtzi repertoire. But we know for sure that our
mom’s mother made her own version of this wonderful meal.
deserves a permanent place on everyone’s table.
dish can easily be converted to please vegetarians. First omit the meat (obviously).
Once the eggplants have baked, carefully scoop out the pulp and chop it. Saute
your favorite vegetables – peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. and cook them
along with the onions and seasonings. Add the chopped eggplant and cook a
little longer. Spoon this mixture into the eggplant shells, and follow the rest
of the recipe.
cut in half lengthwise, stem trimmed
Garnish: chopped Italian parsley, optional
allow to rest for about 30 minutes to help draw out any bitter juices. Rinse
eggplants and pat dry.
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| Baked eggplant |
Place eggplant halves, skin-side down in a baking
pan so they fit snuggly. Brush cut-sides of eggplant with olive oil, and season
with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft and golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
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| Sauteed onions with spices |
In a small bowl, stir together the allspice, paprika and
coriander. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and half of the spice mix. Cook over medium-high
heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often.
 |
| Meat filling |
Add the ground lamb (or beef), and cook until meat is
crumbled and no longer pink; drain any excess grease. Add pine nuts, parsley,
salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
spice blend in a mixing bowl with the diced tomatoes and their juices, red
pepper paste (or tomato paste), lemon juice (if using), sugar, and salt to
taste. Mix well.
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| Baked lamb-stuffed eggplant |
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Pour the sauce
mixture into the baking pan to surround the eggplants. Spoon the lamb mixture to
cover the top of each eggplant. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 1
hour. Carefully lift foil and baste the eggplants halfway through baking.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Suggestions: serve with bulgur
pilaf, plain yogurt, and crusty bread.
This seems very similar to a dish called gharneh yarekh. The main difference is that the eggplant is slit along its length, fried, stuffed with the ground meat mixture, then baked. I do believe that dish also originated in Dikranagerd.
It does sound pretty similar, Ara, and just as delicious!