Turkish Eggplant And Potato Kizartma With Tomato Iskender Sauce Recipes

TURKISH EGGPLANT AND POTATO KIZARTMA WITH TOMATO ISKENDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Garlic Yoghurt:.
• At least an hour before serving, combine yoghurt and garlic in a small bowl. Stir, cover and refrigerate. When you start cooking, remove from refrigerator and allow yoghurt to come back to room temperature.
• Iskender Sauce:.
• Melt butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat.
• Add onion, garlic and chilli and cook until onion is transparent - about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the sauce is rich and very thick.
• Taste and add salt as required.
• Kizartma:.
• Preheat oven to 100C (you're going to use this to keep the eggplant warm after you've cooked it).
• Heat some of the oil in a large frypan and fry the eggplant slices, in batches if necessary, until brown on both sides, adding more oil as required.
• Line a dinner plate with kitchen paper and transfer eggplant to the plate when cooked.
• Keep eggplant warm in the oven while you cook the potatoes.
• Add some more oil to the same pan, and fry the potato slices until golden brown on each side.
• To assemble:.
• Make 4 stacks, alternating potato, eggplant and a dessertspoon of tomato sauce. Each stack should have 3 slices each of potato and eggplant. Finish each stack with a spoonful of sauce, then drizzle each stack with garlic yoghurt (being careful not to topple it).
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

TURKISH-STYLE BRAISED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Trim ends off the eggplant. With a vegetable peeler, cut off alternating strips of skin. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes, place in a colander over a large bowl and toss with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to 3 hours, rinse well and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible; do not break cubes up.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant cubes and move them around occasionally, until they are rather tender and somewhat browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan with tongs, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Set aside.
• Add remaining oil to the pan with the onions and pine nuts and stir occasionally, until the onions are transparent and some pine nuts are lightly browned, 7 or 8 minutes.
• Return eggplant to the pan with the tomato, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, cumin and pepper. Mix well, then turn heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the eggplant is very tender but still in distinct pieces, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring once or twice, until the liquid is somewhat thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and let sit uncovered until it is at room temperature, about 45 minutes. Stir in the dill and parsley, adjust the seasonings to taste and serve, accompanied by yogurt and lemon wedges for squeezing.