Embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Turkish cuisine with this delectable pasta dish featuring succulent lamb, tender eggplant, and a creamy yogurt sauce. The harmonious blend of flavors and textures in this dish is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Discover the secrets of preparing this exquisite meal with our step-by-step guide, which includes recipes for the flavorful lamb and eggplant, the rich yogurt sauce, and the aromatic herb oil that adds a finishing touch.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
EGGPLANT, LAMB AND YOGURT CASSEROLE
This hearty dish is inspired by moussaka, but simpler to prepare. Everything is baked in one roasting pan, with the different elements added in stages. Made with yogurt, cheese and egg, the topping cuts wonderfully through the richness of the eggplant and lamb, even though it lacks the body of béchamel. If you can get them, sweet and properly ripened tomatoes would be better than the canned ones. This is best served with a piece of pita or a slice of white bread to scoop it all up.
Provided by Yotam Ottolenghi
Categories dinner, casseroles, meat, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius.
- Add the eggplant, lamb, onion, oregano, oil, tomato paste, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, red-pepper flakes, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper to a 10-by-13-inch/26-by-34-centimeter (or similar) roasting pan (tin) and mix well to combine. Bake until the mixture is well browned, stirring twice throughout and breaking apart the meat with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and continue to break apart the meat very well (don't worry if you break apart some of the eggplant, too). Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, lightly crushing the tomatoes by hand. Stir in the chicken stock and parsley then return to the oven and bake for another 35 minutes, stirring twice throughout, until the sauce is thick and rich and the eggplant is very soft. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit/250 degrees Celsius.
- While the casserole is in the oven, prepare the topping: Whisk together the yogurt, yolks, flour, garlic and half the Parmesan with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Once ready, spoon the yogurt mixture over the lamb and eggplant, gently spreading to cover. Top evenly with the remaining Parmesan, feta, pine nuts, parsley and red-pepper flakes.
- Bake until golden and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 707, UnsaturatedFat 27 grams, Carbohydrate 36 grams, Fat 50 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 34 grams, SaturatedFat 18 grams, Sodium 1547 milligrams, Sugar 18 grams
MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE
The basis of this recipe came from my 4th grade teacher's mother who was Armenian, and I've been making it for over 50 years. It is easy to put together, but the longer the stovetop step simmers, the better the casserole will be when served. Leftovers are yummy! You could serve this over rice, if you like, with a green salad. I just serve it in pasta bowls with crusty bread, butter, and a nice glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Provided by MAMA2EANDJ
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 2h35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
- Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
- Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
- Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 384.6 calories, Carbohydrate 22.6 g, Cholesterol 77.2 mg, Fat 23.2 g, Fiber 8.4 g, Protein 24 g, SaturatedFat 7.5 g, Sodium 1471.2 mg, Sugar 12.2 g
LAMB AND EGGPLANT PIDE
Sometimes referred to as Turkish pizza, pide (pronounced pea-DAY) is made with a simple yeast dough. You can make your own dough, or use two 8-ounce balls of store-bought pizza dough, if you like. Spiced ground lamb is a typical Turkish topping, but we use some diced eggplant and a bit of yogurt and mint as a nod to moussaka. Adding an egg to the yogurt thickens it, so when it's cooked it becomes an almost-cheesy layer between the meat and dough. If you can't find ground lamb, you can substitute ground beef, and for a vegetarian version, omit the meat and double up on the eggplant.
Provided by Jessica Battilana
Categories dinner, lunch, snack, breads, appetizer, main course, side dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 12 pide or 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Make the dough: In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon) combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and olive oil and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium, and mix until the dough comes together as a smooth ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the onion and eggplant and several pinches of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, red-pepper flakes and allspice and cook for 1 minute. Add the lamb, increase the heat to high and cook, breaking up the chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is barely pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly (or removing from the heat as necessary) to keep the garlic from scorching. Let cool slightly, then stir in the mint. Season to taste with more salt.
- Arrange the racks in the top and bottom third of the oven, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and egg, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 12 pieces, each about 1 1/2 ounces/45 grams. With a floured rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an even oval measuring about 6-by-4 inches/15-by-10 centimeters. Working with one piece of dough at a time, spoon a scant tablespoon of the yogurt mixture into the center of the oval, then use the back of the spoon to spread it in a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon some of the lamb mixture on top of the yogurt and spread in an even layer. Fold the edges of the dough up and pinch the ends so the pide resembles a canoe. With a large spatula (or the bottom of a removable bottom tart pan) transfer the pide to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, yogurt and lamb.
- Brush each pide with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the dough is deep brown, 18 to 23 minutes, rotating the pans and switching oven racks halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
- To save time, you can use pre-cooked eggplant. Simply grill or roast the eggplant ahead of time and then store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
- If you don't have a meat grinder, you can use ground lamb from the store. Just be sure to choose a good quality lamb that is free of any fillers or additives.
- To make the yogurt sauce, be sure to use full-fat yogurt. This will give the sauce a richer flavor and texture.
- If you don't have any fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried herbs instead. Just be sure to use about half the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh herbs.
- Serve the pasta with a simple green salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.
Conclusion:
This pasta with Turkish-style lamb, eggplant, and yogurt sauce is a delicious and flavorful dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The lamb is tender and juicy, the eggplant is soft and smoky, and the yogurt sauce is tangy and refreshing. This dish is sure to please everyone at the table.
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