How to make stuffed eggplants. Stuffed eggplants: how to bake and ferment “boats” with filling. Georgian eggplant rolls
Stuffed eggplants are a wonderful dish that will delight you on an ordinary day and will decorate your holiday table. There are many recipes, each of them is original - it is simply impossible to choose just one. Particularly pleasing is the variety of fillings that world cuisine offers. Among them there are meat and lean ones, perfect for vegetarians. Judge for yourself!
This dish has already become international. It is prepared in Russia and the Balkans, Asia and Europe. The main thing is to decide which meat to choose. I prefer the classic - a mixture of beef and pork. I bake the dish in the oven, it takes about an hour and a half.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 5 pcs.;
- minced meat – 300 g;
- greens (dill, parsley, green onions) - 3-4 sprigs;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
- mayonnaise – 1 tbsp. l. for each “boat”;
- dense cheese – 100 g;
- black pepper - to taste;
- vegetable oil for frying minced meat - approximately 50 ml.
Preparation:
Wash the eggplants, cut them in half lengthwise and place them in boiling salted water for a minute. Then remove the vegetable with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Cut the tomatoes into slices. Grate the cheese on a fine grater into a separate bowl.
Prepare the filling: fry finely chopped onion in vegetable oil until half cooked, then add minced meat and continue frying for another 10 minutes. For spices, I only add salt and a pinch of black pepper, although lovers of a piquant taste can add special spices or dried herbs.
Is the filling cold? Add finely chopped herbs and pressed garlic to it, mix everything well.
Using a spoon, remove the inner pulp from the eggplants to create a kind of “boat”. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet (after greasing it with oil) and fill with filling.
Spread the top of each stuffed slice with mayonnaise, lay out the tomato rings, sprinkle with grated cheese and place in the oven. Bake at 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes. During this time, the cheese will completely melt and cover the eggplants with a golden crust.
This dish is best served with mashed potatoes, although any other side dish will also work well.
Stuffed eggplants with carrots and garlic
A wonderful lean dish that I cook in large quantities at once. It lasts in the refrigerator for several days without any damage, it is perfect for lunch in the summer heat - it is easy and does not require heating.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 10 pcs.;
- greens (parsley, dill) - a large bunch;
- tomatoes – 1.5-2 kg;
- carrots – 3 pcs.;
- garlic – 1 large head;
- salt, pepper - to taste;
- sugar – 1 tsp;
- vegetable oil – 50 ml;
- table vinegar 9% – 2 tsp.
Preparation:
Bake the eggplants on a baking sheet in the oven - the skin should darken and crack a little, and the vegetable itself should be easily pierced with a wooden toothpick. During the process, the fruits can be turned over several times so that they are better browned on different sides.
Remove the “blue ones” from the oven and let them cool well. At the same time, the vegetables will “shrink” a little, this is not scary at all!
Chop the carrots on a coarse grater, add all the greens (pre-finely chopped), chopped garlic (you can use a special press or chop the peeled cloves with a knife), a little salt - literally a couple of pinches.
Cut the cooled eggplants along their entire length into two slices, but do not separate them completely - they should remain connected at one end (you should get an eggplant “book”). Carefully remove the false pulp so that you get “boats” half a centimeter thick.
Pass the extracted pulp through a meat grinder along with the tomatoes. Pour the resulting puree into a saucepan, add sugar, about 50 ml of vegetable oil, then pepper and salt to taste. For those who like it spicy, I advise you to grind it and add one fresh chili pod to our sauce. Place the puree on the stove and cook (with constant stirring) over low heat (from the moment it boils, about ten minutes). Add vinegar at the very end.
Meanwhile, carefully stuff the “little blue” ones with vegetable filling and press the halves together. Place the eggplants in a wide saucepan on their side. Pour boiling tomato sauce over. Press down with a large plate and place a press (I take an enamel container with water for this). When the dish has cooled completely, put it in the refrigerator.
I serve this dish with fried potatoes or crumbly porridge.
Italian style eggplant with pasta
On the Apennine Peninsula they love not only pasta, but also eggplant. We combine these two most important ingredients and we get Italian stuffed vegetables. A very satisfying dish, completely self-sufficient - it does not require a side dish.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 6 pcs.;
- pasta (any pasta, but medium-sized ones are best, for example penne) – 1 faceted glass;
- pitted olives – 200 g;
- bacon or ham (low-fat varieties) – 100 g;
- tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
- any greens - a bunch;
- vegetable oil (preferably olive) – 3-4 tbsp. l.;
- salt - to taste;
- ground black pepper - a pinch.
Preparation:
Boil the eggplants whole (without cutting off the stems) in salted water - just boil them for about three minutes. Take it out and place it in a large colander so that the water drains well (you can press it down with a small weight for this purpose). Cool.
Boil the pasta (pasta) until half cooked.
Cut the cooled “blue ones” in half. Remove the pulp from the vegetable, chop it and place it in a deep frying pan (after pouring oil into it). Place on the stove to simmer.
To the future minced meat, add finely chopped ham (bacon), olives (in rings), chopped herbs.
Peel the tomatoes (it’s easier to do this if you put each fruit in boiling water for a few seconds), cut into cubes and add to the filling. In total, the minced meat should be stewed for about ten minutes. When it is ready, remove from the stove and add the boiled pasta. Stir.
Place the “boats” on an oiled baking sheet and fill each with filling. Cover the eggplants with foil, tucking the edges well, place in a preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
This dish is best served hot, immediately after cooking, garnished with fresh herbs, tomato slices or remaining olives.
Eggplant stuffed with tuna and corn
You can use fresh fish for this Mediterranean recipe, but it is much easier to work with canned fish.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 5 pcs.;
- canned tuna – 200 g;
- canned corn – 200 g;
- tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- dill - a bunch;
- olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- fresh lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
- pepper (black and red) - to taste;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation:
In this recipe, the eggplants do not require pre-frying or boiling. Wash the vegetables, divide them into halves, carefully cut out the pulp from the middle, and add salt to the resulting “boats” and set aside for half an hour. Drain off the juice released during this time.
The filling also does not require heat treatment. Mash the fish in a bowl, add corn, chopped tomato pulp, chopped dill (half a bunch), salt and add pepper. Stir.
Make a special sauce: crush the garlic, add three tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt, pepper and stir.
Fill the “boats” with minced meat, put them in a baking dish, sprinkle sauce on top of each slice, and put them in the oven for half an hour. The dish is served immediately after cooking with vegetables and fresh herbs.
Eggplant with squid
Bluefish and squid go well together. Moreover, you can stuff both. Let's cook eggplant with squid filling today.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 4 pcs.;
- squid – 3 carcasses;
- onions – 3 pcs.;
- sour cream – 400 g;
- tomato paste or ketchup – 2 tbsp. l.;
- rice – 1/3 cup;
- flour;
- vegetable oil – 3-4 tbsp. l.;
- spices (salt, ground pepper) - to taste.
Preparation:
Wash the eggplants, cut them (as usual, into two halves), add salt and let the juice stand out. Drain the liquid, roll the halves in flour and fry in a frying pan until golden brown.
Place the prepared vegetables to cool on a paper towel to absorb excess fat. Then use a spoon to remove some of the pulp to make room for the filling.
Boil the rice (10-15 minutes) and cleaned squid fillet (2-3 minutes).
Fry the filling in oil: onions cut into thin half rings, eggplant pulp minced through a meat grinder, squid carcasses and rice. Add spices to taste.
Fill the “boats” with the filling and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for about twenty minutes.
Prepare the sauce: mix sour cream and ketchup (you can squeeze a clove of garlic into it).
Take out the finished dish, place on plates, pour sauce on top and garnish with herbs.
Eggplant rolls stuffed with cottage cheese
For this recipe there is no need to “hollow out the boats” - we will make special rolls with a delicate and savory filling.
Ingredients:
- long eggplants – 4 pcs.;
- cottage cheese – 250-300 g;
- sour cream or unsweetened yogurt - 4 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- vegetable oil for frying – 50 ml;
- flour for breading;
- fresh herbs - for decoration;
- salt and ground pepper - to taste.
Note to the owner! In such rolls, the curd filling can be replaced with cheese - in this case it is better to fill it with mayonnaise, but do not add more salt.
Preparation:
Wash the eggplants, cut into slices lengthwise (about 1 cm thick). Salt the “cuts”, coat them in flour and fry until golden brown. Leave to cool on a napkin (towel) to remove the fat.
Mix cottage cheese with garlic and sour cream, add salt and pepper to taste.
Place a tablespoon of minced meat on one edge of the eggplant slice and roll it into a roll (you can secure it with a toothpick).
Place the dish in the refrigerator for half an hour. Before serving, eggplants are sprinkled with chopped herbs.
Stuffed eggplants Moroccan style
Ideally, the dish requires canned chickpeas - “chickpeas”. If getting it is problematic, try making a Moroccan appetizer with regular peas or beans. In fact, there are a lot of oriental versions of this dish, many make it with the addition of minced meat, but today we will limit ourselves to only broth for the sauce.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 3 pcs.;
- canned chickpeas (beans or peas) – 400 g;
- pine nuts - a handful;
- seedless raisins – 2 tbsp. l.;
- meat broth – 100 ml;
- tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
- parsley - a bunch;
- cinnamon - a pinch;
- coriander - a pinch;
- ground pepper (paprika and black) - to taste;
- salt - to taste;
- olive oil – 5-6 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
Clean cut raw eggplants from excess pulp (do not throw away the insides!) using a metal spoon and add salt. Give time for excess juice to drain.
Grease the finished halves with olive oil on all sides, lightly pepper and bake in the oven until brown.
Fry the chopped eggplant pulp in a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan. Then add cinnamon, raisins, half the nuts, chickpeas (peas or beans) and diced tomatoes. Pour the broth over everything and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Fill the baked eggplants with the filling - put the baking sheet with the stuffed “blue” ones back into the oven (for another ten minutes). Before serving the boat, sprinkle with fresh pine kernels and chopped parsley.
Korean eggplant with spicy carrot filling
Korean cuisine is famous for its spiciness, so these eggplants will appeal to lovers of fiery snacks. It will take time to prepare the dish - it will take about three days for the appetizer to be ready. Therefore, it’s worth making a lot of “little blue ones” at once (if desired, they can then be put into sterile jars and rolled up).
Ingredients:
- eggplants – 2 kg;
- garlic – 2 heads;
- hot ground pepper - to taste;
- carrots – 0.5 kg;
- Korean seasoning for carrots – 1 sachet;
- greens (cilantro, celery, parsley) - a bunch;
- vegetable oil – 100 ml;
- salt - to taste;
- vinegar (9%) – 3 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
Cut fresh eggplants lengthwise, but not all the way, but in the shape of a “book”. Boil these preparations in salted water - it is advisable to turn them over during the process. Such pre-preparation will take 3-5 minutes. Ready vegetables can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife, but they should not become too soggy.
Remove the “books” to a colander, set the pressure and let the water drain well (an hour and a half).
Grate the peeled carrots on a special shredder to make thin long sticks (like a regular Korean snack).
Boil oil in a deep frying pan, add seasoning for carrots, add hot pepper to taste, heat everything thoroughly (about a minute, stirring vigorously). Add carrots, chopped herbs and salt. Stir and remove from heat. Add crushed garlic. Let the filling cool.
Place the carrots between the halves of the drained eggplant, squeezing our “book” tightly. To prevent it from falling apart, wrap each stuffed vegetable with regular thread. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan.
Prepare the brine: boil one liter of water, add salt (you will need about 2 tablespoons of salt) and add vinegar. Pour the hot “broth” over the eggplants, let cool at room temperature (it’s best to leave them alone for a day). Then put the press down and put the pan in the refrigerator for two days.
Before serving, remove the string from the eggplant and cut the stuffed vegetable into small slices.
Step-by-step photo recipe for stuffed eggplants with Georgian chicken
“Sinenkie” stuffed with chicken is a dish of Georgian cuisine, more precisely, of Eastern Georgia. It perfectly combines roasted vegetables and fried chicken. Golden onions and garlic fit perfectly into the overall composition, filling the food with their delicious taste and aroma. Eggplants are baked with cheese, which occupies an important place in Georgian cuisine, being a component of many dishes.
We must not forget about the sauces added to the minced meat - tomato and tkemali. They are the ones that make up the acidic environment that must be present in Georgian meat dishes. Ground coriander and black pepper only highlight the delicious taste of the main ingredients.
Cooking time: 45 min.
Number of servings: 3
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Wash the eggplants thoroughly, dry with a paper towel and trim the stems.
Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. The easiest way to do this is with a pastry brush. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes.
Peel the garlic, rinse and chop very finely. If desired, you can pass the garlic through a press. Remove the peel from the onion, wash and finely chop.
Wash the chicken fillet, dry it and cut it into small cubes - about 0.8 cm in size.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Do not turn off the oven, do not change the temperature in it.
Place the pan in the oven and bake on the top rack for 10 minutes. As a result, the cheese should melt.
Eggplants with Georgian chicken are ready. Place 2 halves on serving plates, garnish as desired with sweet pepper rings, tomato slices, fresh parsley leaves and serve.
Eggplant is a vegetable with character, so when preparing it, I take into account some features. For example, a slight specific bitterness that not everyone likes. To remove it, you need to add a little salt to the cut, washed fruits - along with the juice, which appears in 10-15 minutes, the excess bitterness will go away.
The eggplant pulp is juicy, and the skin is very dense. To prevent the vegetable from bursting during baking due to the moisture released, it is advisable to pierce its peel with a fork in several places before putting it in the oven.
If the recipe calls for frying eggplants, be sure to salt them, drain the juice, wash the fruits, and then dry the vegetables with a napkin or towel. This way they will be less saturated with vegetable oil and will not “shoot” in the frying pan.
Every housewife asks herself the question, what to cook today? It sounds even more relevant on the eve of the holidays. Vegetables are always popular as a snack, and they are also healthy and nutritious. So, why don’t we cook them today? We have collected below a selection of delicious recipes, where the main dish, which ends up being stuffed eggplants. Today you will learn how to prepare these vegetables both for the holiday table and for the winter - a very convenient snack option that will save time in the winter and will delight your guests.
Interesting fact! According to some scientists, eggplants are closer to berry crops than to vegetables. This sounds unusual to us. Now there are many varieties of the crop with completely different fruit shapes.
Useful properties of eggplants
We will not talk for long about the composition and positive effects of vegetables on the body. But let’s still say a couple of necessary facts so that you understand that eggplants not only look beautiful when served and are tasty, but they can also really benefit us. Surprise your guests with both culinary masterpieces and the necessary knowledge.- Eggplants have a beneficial effect on blood vessels, strengthen the myocardium, eliminate bad cholesterol, which helps the cardiovascular system function better and reduces the risk of its diseases.
- They cleanse the gastrointestinal tract due to the fiber content, expel waste and toxins, and normalize water balance.
- Eliminate swelling, help the functioning of the kidneys and liver.
- Eating eggplants reduces the risk of urolithiasis.
- They help to quickly reduce excess weight, normalize intestinal function, eliminate constipation and prevent hemorrhoids.
- They have a beneficial effect on bones and help prevent cancer.
- Vegetables are often prescribed for those people who are sick or at risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and also for hypertensive patients, patients with arrhythmia, and osteochondrosis.
- Due to the small percentage of nicotine content, eggplants can provide relief for those who want to quit smoking.
- Due to the content of folic acid, vegetables have a beneficial effect on the condition of pregnant women.
Good to know! Eggplants contain a lot of vitamins: group B, A, E, K acids, minerals - potassium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, manganese, fluorine, copper, iron, iodine, fiber, pectin.
A selection of the best stuffed eggplant recipes for you
With mushrooms
Mushrooms are one of the most commonly used ingredients for filling - they are tasty, nutritious, and replace meat. Let's start with them.
Advice! Mushrooms go well with eggplants, but are especially tasty with chanterelles, champignons, and oyster mushrooms.
We will need:
- vegetables - 3 medium-sized eggplants;
- tomatoes - 3 medium pieces;
- chanterelles – ½ kg;
- spices and salt - to taste and desire;
- vegetable oil - olive or sunflower - for frying;
- hard cheese – 600 grams;
- onion - one large;
- fresh herbs - parsley, dill or your choice;
- mayonnaise or sour cream - for lubrication.
Stuff the eggplants.
Wash the purple vegetables, cut them lengthwise into two parts, remove the pulp, but do not throw it away. Salt the eggplants and let them sit for a while. Wash the chanterelles, cut into small pieces, fry in a frying pan along with onion half rings with vegetable oil. We also transfer the pulp that was removed from the vegetables earlier. Fry everything for about 5-7 minutes. A couple of minutes before the end, put tomatoes cut into rings into the frying pan, and at the end add herbs and spices with salt.
The filling should cool slightly, after which you can fill the eggplant boats. Cover everything with a layer of sour cream and cheese, bake in the oven for about another half hour. Finally, decorate with fresh herbs before serving. It turns out very tasty and looks festive.
Advice! You can add garlic to the filling, if appropriate, which you can press through the garlic press. The dish will be incredibly aromatic and will additionally help the immune system in winter.
In Italian traditions
The first version of stuffed eggplants is quite traditional in terms of filling, although tasty. If you are expecting gourmets for the holiday and want to surprise, then we offer this recipe for the dish. No one will remain indifferent.
We will need:
- eggplants – 300-400 grams;
- Cherry tomatoes – 250 grams;
- mozzarella – 200 grams;
- parmesan – 150-200 grams;
- spices and salt - to taste or basil, oregano, a mixture of Italian herbs;
- one egg;
- bulb;
- capers – 100 grams;
- olive oil for frying.
Stuff the eggplants.
We wash our vegetables, then dry them and bake them in the oven as a whole for half an hour. Cut the eggplants into two parts, remove the stewed pulp. Now we place it in a frying pan with olive oil, here we cut the cherry tomatoes into two parts, chop the onion or cut it into half rings. Fry some of this filling, adding salt and spices. Boil the egg.
Place the filling in the eggplant boats, chop a boiled egg, add capers, and cut the mozzarella into cubes. Add some salt, cover everything with a layer of Parmesan or hard cheese, whatever you have. Bake in the oven for half an hour. The dish should have a golden brown crust.
Advice! The top of the stuffed eggplants can be decorated with lemon and fresh herbs, as well as olives. And so that the vegetables do not burst during the first stewing, they need to be pierced with a toothpick.
With meat
For those who can't eat only vegetables, here's a hearty recipe. You can use minced meat or chicken breast to prepare it. You can finely chop the beef.
We will need:
- eggplants – 4 medium-sized pieces;
- hard cheese – 200 grams;
- meat – minced meat or breast – 400 grams;
- garlic – 3-4 cloves;
- onion – 3 medium;
- bread - we need its pulp - about 120 grams;
- salt and spices - to taste, but ground pepper is a must;
- greens - fresh dill and parsley;
- milk - to soften bread;
- tomatoes - we need them ground through a sieve - about 400-500 grams.
Stuff the eggplants.
Wash the vegetables, cut them into two halves, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Grind the tomatoes into a saucepan, chop one onion, add salt and spices and simmer the sauce for half an hour. At the same time, you should have salted eggplants. Chop two onions and garlic cloves and mix them with meat or minced meat, fry them with salt and spices.
Then mix the bread and milk, let it swell, mix with the fried minced meat and the pulp that was removed from the vegetables. Simmer under the lid for another 4-5 minutes. Then put it on eggplant boats, pour sauce over everything, cover with grated cheese, and add salt if necessary. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. We decorate the finished dish with fresh herbs and can serve it with the remaining sauce.
With cottage cheese
We’re not surprised by the previous fillings, but how do you like this version of stuffed eggplants? Maybe the recipe is not for everyone, but connoisseurs of everything new and unusual combinations will be delighted.
We will need:
- eggplants – 1 kg;
- cottage cheese (for those losing weight - not fatty) – 150-200 grams;
- tomatoes and potatoes - 200 grams of each vegetable;
- lemon – ½ fruit;
- salt and spices - to taste;
- vegetable oil;
- greens – dill, parsley;
- cheese – 150 grams;
- garlic cloves – 3-4 pieces;
- eggs - 3 pieces.
Stuff the eggplants.
Traditionally, wash the eggplants, cut them into halves, take out the contents, add some salt and wait for half an hour. Pour oil into a frying pan, lightly fry our vegetables, add water for 3-5 minutes, simmer, remove. Here after we chop the onion, cut the potatoes, tomatoes into thin strips, add salt and pepper, put in the frying pan and the pulp that was taken out at the very beginning. Simmer everything until half cooked.
Now this filling needs to be cooled, mixed with cottage cheese, into which the garlic must first be squeezed. Let's fill our boats with the filling, you can also put a slice of tomato here, pour the eggplant on top with the egg, which has been beaten and mixed with grated cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. Served with fresh herbs and lemon. It turns out to be a very delicate, unusual taste. The dish is also made without cheese, and the eggs are beaten together with milk. Well, now let's prepare delicious stuffed eggplants, but for the winter.
With carrots and garlic
Of course, what housewife can do without winter supplies - none. Making eggplants is simple, but what a delight it will be to enjoy as a snack during the cold season.
We will need:
- eggplants – medium size – 10 pieces;
- garlic cloves – 10-12 pieces;
- carrots – 300-320 grams;
- fresh herbs - a bunch of dill, parsley;
- vinegar - we need 9% - 200 ml;
- bell pepper – 3 pieces;
- peppercorns – 4-6 pieces;
- bay leaf – 3-4 pieces;
- salt – 3 teaspoons.
Stuff the eggplants.
Wash the vegetables, cut off the stalks. Now we need to scald them in boiling water for about 3 minutes. To do this, prepare a solution from a liter of water and a spoon of table salt. When the brine begins to boil, drop the eggplants into it for 3 minutes. The process is over - take it out, let the fruits drain and cool in a colander.
We wash the pepper and remove all the seeds, peel the garlic and carrots. The greens need to be chopped and the cloves pressed through the garlic clove. We combine these two components with each other, adding salt. Three carrots, chop the pepper finely, mix the vegetables with garlic and herbs. We take our eggplants, cut them, fill them with filling. We connect the two parts, by this time you should already have sterilized jars ready.
Place the eggplants with the filling, pressing the halves tightly together. We make a brine from a liter of water, a spoon of salt, put peppercorns and a bay leaf into it. When the marinade boils, add vinegar, and then pour it into jars with eggplants, and cover with lids. The workpieces should cool under a warm towel.
Marinated with cabbage
We've prepared stuffed eggplants for the winter, let's make pickled ones too. It’s delicious, made from seasonal vegetables, and therefore healthy.
We will need:
- eggplants – 1.5 kg;
- bell pepper – 2 large;
- cabbage – ½ kg;
- carrots – 150 grams;
- ground pepper - to taste;
- garlic cloves – 5-7 pieces;
- chili pepper - optional - a small piece;
- water – 1.5 liters;
- salt – 70 grams.
Stuff the eggplants.
Wash, remove the tails from the purple fruits, then boil in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. To prevent the fruits from bursting, always heat them with a toothpick. Next, as in the recipe above, you need to cool the vegetables and let them drain well. Wash the carrots, grate them on a coarse grater, chop the cabbage finely. Wash the pepper, remove the seeds, cut it into cubes or strips. Peel the garlic and grind it through a garlic press. Mix everything together.
We make the marinade from one and a half liters of water and 70 grams of salt. When it boils, turn it off and let it cool. We stuff the eggplant halves with the filling, pepper, then place the vegetables in a spacious saucepan, pour in the marinade, and place something heavy on top of the plate - oppression. The vegetables will be marinated for three days, after which you can serve them to the table - unusual and tasty.
Advice! To prevent your stuffed eggplants from falling apart, you can wrap them with thread made from natural fabric.
With tomatoes
Another recipe for stuffed eggplants in jars for the winter. Such preparations will delight you throughout the cold season; they are stored well in a cool room.
We will need:
- purple fruits (eggplants) – medium size – 15 pieces;
- carrots, tomatoes and sweet peppers - 400 grams of each vegetable;
- laurel leaf – 3 pieces;
- hot pepper – 1-2 pieces or as desired;
- garlic – 200 grams;
- salt - for all winter preparations, use simple rock salt, but not iodized salt - 3 teaspoons;
- greenery;
- peppercorns – 13-15 pieces;
- vegetable oil - for frying.
Stuff the eggplants.
Delicious, juicy eggplant stuffed with minced meat. The dish is suitable for a hearty breakfast or just a snack. How you can experiment with it and what products to replace. Find out all this and much more in the step-by-step recipe with photos. Video recipe.
Stuffed eggplants are a tasty and nutritious dish. Anything can serve as a filling. These include vegetables, mushrooms, and fish. But the most delicious food is made with pieces of meat or minced meat. I offer an interesting recipe for stuffed eggplants with minced meat. This dish can be prepared both for a home dinner and at a festive feast, it will take its rightful place. In addition, with this method of heat treatment, all the beneficial substances are preserved in the eggplants. Another advantage of this dish is that it can be consumed both warm and chilled.
If you wish, you can replace the eggplants with zucchini, and add any herbs, vegetables, spices and herbs to the minced meat. You can also replace minced meat with chicken or turkey. It will also turn out very tasty and tender, and the food will contain fewer calories. One of the required products in this recipe is cheese, which is used to sprinkle the filling. If you like fried cheese with a crispy crust, then put it directly on the filling and put it in the oven. In this case, the filling will better retain its juiciness. And if you like “stretchy” cheese, then add it 15 minutes before the dish is ready.
- Calorie content per 100 g - 355 kcal.
- Number of servings - 4
- Cooking time - 50 minutes, not including time to remove bitterness from eggplants
Ingredients:
- Eggplants - 2 pcs.
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
- Cheese - 150 g
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Basil - a few sprigs
- Minced meat - 300 g
- Salt - 0.5 tsp. or to taste
- Tomato paste - 1 tbsp.
Step-by-step preparation of eggplant stuffed with minced meat, recipe with photo:
1. Wash the eggplants and dry with a paper towel. Cut off the stems and cut the fruit in half lengthwise. At this stage, you need to decide whether you will remove the bitterness from the blue ones or not. It is usually found in ripe fruits, but not in young ones. Therefore, if the vegetable is old, then sprinkle the cut areas with salt and leave for half an hour. During this time, droplets of moisture will appear on the surface of the eggplants, along with which all the bitterness will come out. After this, rinse them under running water and dry with a paper towel.
2. Cut the extracted pulp into small cubes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant pulp until golden brown.
4. In another frying pan, fry the minced meat in oil, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until it changes color.
5. In one frying pan, combine minced meat, fried eggplant, tomato paste, chopped basil, salt and ground black pepper. You can add any herbs and spices to your taste.
6. Mix the products and simmer over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
What I really like about stuffed vegetables is the ease of preparation combined with the ease of eating. And at the same time, despite the simplicity of the dish, there is a very rich combination of tastes and aromas that very harmoniously complement and highlight each other.
This richness of flavors is especially noticeable in stuffed eggplants. The vibrant aroma of the greens, the flavor of the meat, the texture and taste of the eggplant and the finishing touch of the cheese all come together to be delicious. It is even more convenient that you immediately get portioned pieces that are immediately convenient to serve.
For stuffed eggplants you will need:
- Ground meat. Ideally lamb. Since the only lamb I had in the refrigerator was rack of lamb, I didn’t have the courage to convert it to minced meat. So it’s mixed minced meat – beef and pork. 400 grams.
- Eggplant. 2 pcs.
- Onion. 1 medium onion.
- Greenery. Cilantro, parsley, dill. Eggplants love cilantro, so it is very desirable to have it.
- Garlic. 2 cloves.
- Grated cheese. Gram 70-100.
- Salt.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
I didn’t put any spices on purpose, since the greens were fresh from the garden, so I didn’t want to overpower the aromas of the freshest herbs.
If you wish, of course, you can use the spices you like.
There was a little more minced meat than required. So I made it from leftover minced meat, which my family loves very much.
|
|
|---|
Prepare stuffed eggplants.
Everything is very simple and quite fast.
Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 2 halves. Using a small knife, make cuts in each half, and using a tablespoon, scoop out the eggplant flesh, forming boats with walls about one centimeter thick. Immediately lubricate the cuts and insides of the boats with vegetable oil. I add a little salt.
Finely chop the greens, cut the onions into squares of about 5x5 mm, finely chop the garlic with a knife, and also cut the insides of the eggplant that we cut out to form the boats into small cubes.
We combine minced meat and all our chopped vegetables - greens, garlic, onions, eggplant - in one bowl. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Mix the minced meat thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Fill each eggplant boat with minced meat and place on a baking sheet. The main thing is that the eggplants do not turn over. For stability, you can make supports for eggplants from foil. You roll a rope out of foil, from which you make an oval, into which you place half of the eggplant.
In eastern countries, eggplants are called “vegetables of longevity” and are recommended for consumption by older people. Vegetables are rich in substances that are important for strengthening blood vessels and preventing heart disease. Potassium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, ascorbic acid, vitamins PP and B - the list of benefits in the composition can be endless. To prevent eggplants from losing important substances, they need to be cooked correctly. The best solution is to bake. But just baked vegetables are banal, but if you stuff them, it’s not a shame to serve them at a dinner party.
Stuffed eggplants can be prepared differently - fermented. Carrots or cabbage are used as filling. The appetizer turns out spicy, spicy, aromatic. It is appropriate for both everyday and holiday menus.
In the southern regions of Russia, eggplants are also called “little blue”. People believe that this name arose because of the purple color of the vegetable, but this is not so. In Odessa, China was considered the birthplace of eggplant (although in fact India), and in Hebrew China sounds like “Sin”. This is where the name came from, which was adopted in some Russian regions.
Preparing the “form”: 4 rules
To prepare stuffed eggplants, you must first prepare the “shape”. The presentable appearance and taste of the dish depends on this. If you make mistakes at the preparatory stage, you will ruin the culinary masterpiece. To prevent this from happening, remember four rules.
- Choosing the right vegetables. Medium-sized eggplants are ideal for stuffing. It is important that the vegetables are young, because with “age” they lose their taste and even become harmful due to the high content of the toxic substance corned beef. You can determine the “age” of a vegetable by its skin and stalk: the skin of young vegetables is without folds or spots, the stalk is green and not dried out.
- Making “forms”. To stuff eggplants for baking in the oven, you need to make “moulds” out of them. These can be “boats” or “barrels”. “Boats” will be obtained if the eggplant is divided into two halves lengthwise and the pulp is removed using a spoon. It is either thrown away or added to the filling. “Barrels” are made by cutting eggplants into several large pieces crosswise: you should get a cylinder without a bottom. The pulp also needs to be cleaned out. Which “mould” to make is a matter of personal preference. But stuffing “boats” is a little easier: you don’t have to think that the filling will fall out from the back side.
- Soak. Eggplant “forms” need to be soaked in salted cold water for 30 minutes, and then start stuffing. The same is done with the pulp if you plan to use it in a dish. Soaking is necessary to “remove” corned beef, which is considered poison. Along with the corned beef, the characteristic bitterness will also go away. After removing the boats from the container where they were soaked, rinse them under running water and stuff them. An alternative way to get rid of bitterness is to boil vegetables cut in half for five minutes after boiling.
- Let's prepare the filling. While the eggplants are soaking, you need to prepare the filling. It is correct to stuff blue ones not with raw filling, but with almost ready-made filling. For example, minced meat or mushrooms are pre-fried in a frying pan, and then filled into “boats” with filling and cooked in the oven. If you use raw filling, then while it is cooking, the eggplant “molds” will over-bake. Especially if you use minced meat as a filling.
Eggplants with a brown color and a large number of seeds are not recommended for consumption. These are overripe vegetables. The concentration of corned beef in them can be so high that it can cause poisoning. It manifests itself as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and even clouding of consciousness. In case of poisoning, you must immediately neutralize the poison by drinking plenty of water or milk.
Recipes for stuffed eggplants in the oven: options for meat eaters...
Most often, housewives stuff eggplants with meat and then bake them in the oven. It turns out to be a full-fledged second course - tasty, aromatic, filling. It is best to take pork and beef and make minced meat from them (1:1), but you can stuff the eggplants with pieces of chicken fillet or ham. Vegetables are added to the meat ingredient - tomatoes, onions, carrots. You can mix minced meat with any cereal, and you won’t need a side dish. Traditionally, eggplants stuffed with meat have a cheese crust, but you don’t have to grate the cheese on top.
Without spices, a delicious dish will not turn out. To the traditional set (salt, black pepper), you can add ground paprika, dried Italian herbs, basil, cilantro, parsley - there is a lot of room for culinary experiments.
Any recipe can be adapted for a slow cooker. Stuffed vegetables are cooked in the “Baking” mode for about 20 minutes. If the power of the “assistant” is less than 860 W, then the cooking time will increase by about ten minutes.
With minced meat and cheese
Peculiarities. Eggplants stuffed with minced meat can be served as a main dish, offering a side dish - any cereal, spaghetti or mashed potatoes. In this case, it is better to prepare “boats”. If you plan to serve eggplant as a snack, take young, medium-sized vegetables and make small “barrels.” Do not throw away the pulp: according to the recipe, it goes into the filling.
Ingredients:
- young eggplants - four pieces;
- minced meat – 300 g;
- hard cheese – 100 g;
- tomatoes - two large vegetables;
- bell pepper – one large;
- onion - two medium onions;
- garlic - two cloves;
- sunflower oil - for frying;
- parsley - optional;
- seasonings - to taste.
Stages
- Soak the prepared “boats” according to the rules. Soak the eggplant pulp separately. After soaking the “mold”, pour boiling water and boil for five minutes.
- Chop peppers, tomatoes, and onions into small cubes. Cut the flesh of the “blue ones”.
- Fry the onion. When it turns golden, add the minced meat. Fry for seven minutes. The minced meat should become crumbly.
- Add tomatoes, peppers, eggplant pulp. Simmer for ten minutes.
- Add spices and pressed garlic.
- Fill the boats with filling. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Temperature – 180°C.
- When serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
If you add rice to the filling, you won’t have to prepare a side dish. The rice is pre-boiled and mixed with fried minced meat. Eggplant pulp is not used, and to make the filling juicy, more tomatoes are used. Dried oregano will add special flavor notes to this dish.
In Turkish
Peculiarities. Eggplant with minced meat is the “calling card” of Turkish cuisine. Turkish housewives do not sprinkle cheese on their boats; it overpowers the amazing aroma of spices. The peculiarity of this dish is the juicy meat filling, soaked in tomato “notes”. According to the recipe, the “boats” are prepared separately, the minced meat separately, and then brought to a “common denominator” in the oven. But you can also stuff raw “forms”: then the baking time will increase to 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
- “little blue” – four vegetables;
- minced meat – 400 g;
- onion - two large onions;
- tomatoes - two large red tomatoes;
- hot pepper - one vegetable;
- tomato paste - two tablespoons;
- garlic - four cloves;
- meat broth - a glass;
- vegetable oil - for frying;
- seasonings (salt, ground paprika, mixture of hot peppers) - to taste;
- any greens - optional.
Stages
- Prepare the eggplants: cut in half and soak in salted water for 30 minutes.
- Fry the garlic in hot oil, but only lightly. When the cloves give up their aroma, they are removed. If the garlic burns, the eggplants will taste bitter.
- Cut the onion into cubes. Pour it into oil “flavored” with garlic. Sauté for a minute.
- Add minced meat. Stirring regularly and breaking up lumps, fry until half cooked.
- Add spices, tomato paste, broth. Simmer the filling for ten minutes.
- Blanch the tomatoes, finely chop the tomato pulp and place it in a saucepan where the filling is prepared. Simmer everything together for seven minutes.
- Dry the eggplant halves with a napkin. Fry on all sides. The vegetables should become soft.
- Make “boats” by removing the centers from the eggplants. Fill the “forms” with tomato and meat filling. Place strips of chili pepper on top - it will give a pleasant aroma and “spiciness”.
- Place in the oven (preheat to 200°C). In ten minutes the dish is ready. Serve generously sprinkled with herbs.
If you really want to cook a “Turkish” dish, then use minced lamb. An alternative is beef. Meat broth can be replaced with vegetable broth or plain water.
With ham and egg
Peculiarities. The dish turns out satisfying and beautiful. This way you can only stuff the “boats”; the eggs will spill out of the “barrels”. You can sprinkle any herbs on top of the dish.
Ingredients:
- eggplants – two vegetables;
- onion - one onion;
- tomatoes - one large tomato;
- quail eggs - four pieces;
- ham – 200 g;
- hard cheese – 100 g;
- seasonings - to taste;
- olive oil - for frying.
Stages
- Prepare the boats. Do not throw away the pulp, it will also go into the filling.
- Finely chop the onion, fry it until golden. Add diced ham, eggplant pulp, and randomly chopped tomatoes. Season the filling to taste and fry for seven minutes.
- Stuff the eggplants. Make a well in the filling and beat in an egg: one egg per half.
- Sprinkle the boats with grated cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 180°C.
Instead of quail eggs, you can take chicken eggs. But if you use large eggplants, increase the amount of filling, otherwise the egg taste will overwhelm the other ingredients.
...and for those who don't like meat
Eggplants do not have to be stuffed with meat. You can make a “light version” of the dish and use vegetables, mushrooms, walnuts, and cottage cheese as filling. If eggplants with meat filling are best served hot, “little blue” ones with a non-meat center are tasty even when served cold.
If you end up with “molds” with thick walls, then it is better to boil them first and then stuff them. Five minutes after boiling will be enough. Preliminary heat treatment is the key to ensuring that the stuffed vegetables are baked and soft.
With vegetables
Peculiarities. Eggplants stuffed with vegetables cook quickly in the oven. The dish turns out juicy, aromatic, tasty: the vegetables have a pleasant color and go well together. The dish is suitable for a vegetarian menu.
Ingredients:
- eggplants - two medium vegetables;
- red tomatoes - two pieces;
- carrots - one root vegetable;
- onion - one head;
- bell pepper – one;
- garlic - clove;
- dill, parsley - half a bunch;
- seasonings - to taste;
- vegetable oil - for frying.
Stages
- Prepare the boats. Don't forget to soak them to remove the bitterness. Simmer in boiling water for five minutes.
- Grate the carrots. Cut the pepper, onion and tomatoes into small cubes, pass the garlic through a press.
- Fry onions and carrots. When they turn golden, add the rest of the filling vegetables and season to taste. Simmer for ten minutes.
- Fill the “boats” with filling. Bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes. Serve generously sprinkled with chopped herbs.
If desired, you can add eggplant pulp, zucchini and any greens to the vegetable filling. If you like spicy dishes, use chili pepper.
With mushrooms
Peculiarities. The recipe for eggplants stuffed with mushrooms involves the use of champignons, but you can replace them with wild mushrooms - the taste will be more expressive. Experiment with seasonings: oregano, nutmeg, and ground white pepper go well with mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- eggplants - four pieces;
- champignons – 300 g;
- onions - one piece;
- tomatoes - two large tomatoes;
- seasonings - to choose from;
- olive oil - for frying.
Stages
- Prepare the boats. Do not throw away the pulp - it goes into the filling.
- Cut the champignons into slices. Fry, and when the excess liquid disappears, add the onion and keep on the stove for another five minutes.
- Fry the blue pulp and diced tomatoes separately.
- Mix the filling ingredients. Stuff the eggplants. Place the “boats” in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes at 180°C.
If desired, you can make a cheese crust on eggplants stuffed with mushrooms: cheese goes well with champignons. Sprinkle the stuffed boats with grated cheese before putting them in the oven. Choose varieties that melt well: for example, Edam, Guada.
With cottage cheese
Peculiarities. Eggplant with curd filling is a light dish. It is better to complement it with a salad of fresh vegetables, but it can be served with meat dishes, along with a side dish. These eggplants can be offered to guests as a snack.
Ingredients:
- eggplants - four medium vegetables;
- low-fat cottage cheese – 200 g;
- hard cheese – 150 g;
- garlic - three cloves;
- chicken egg - one piece;
- pepper, salt - to taste;
- parsley - half a bunch.
Stages
- Make "boats". Do not throw away the pulp.
- Mash the cottage cheese with a spoon, add grated cheese, chopped herbs and pressed garlic. Season the filling to taste.
- Add eggplant pulp to the filling. Beat in a raw egg. Mix thoroughly.
- Bake the “boats” filled with filling for 30 minutes. Temperature – 180°C.
You can stuff not only “boats” with curd filling, but also “barrels”. The egg “glues” the components of the filling: it will not fall out.
With nuts
Peculiarities. A dish with a Georgian touch. To enhance it, add cilantro to the filling. Hot or cold, eggplant stuffed with nuts is equally delicious. Serve “blue ones” with nuts as a snack. They can be used to stuff both “boats” and “barrels”. This filling is often found in eggplant rolls. The recipe assumes that the “molds” will turn out al dente. If you like soft vegetables, you can pre-bake the “moulds” for 15 minutes, and then stuff and bake according to the recipe.
Ingredients:
- eggplants - four vegetables;
- walnuts - half a glass;
- mayonnaise or sour cream - four tablespoons;
- hard cheese – 100 g;
- greens (cilantro, parsley, dill) - by eye;
- garlic - to taste;
- seasonings - optional.
Stages
- Make “barrels” out of eggplants. After soaking, simmer in boiling water for five minutes.
- Grind the nuts using a blender or mortar.
- Mix nuts, sour cream (mayonnaise), grated cheese, add chopped herbs, garlic. Season to taste. This is the filling.
- Stuff the eggplants. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place in the oven preheated to 180°C for 15 minutes.
Stuffed eggplants can be made even if there is no oven. Cut the vegetable into circles 4 cm high. Divide the disk into two, but do not bring the knife all the way through: there should be a connection between the plates. Place any filling inside, dip the discs in a batter of egg, flour, salt and fry. Fried eggplants have a lot more calories than baked ones, but you can treat yourself occasionally.
2 ways to prepare for future use
Not only baked stuffed eggplants turn out delicious, but also “blue” stuffed eggplants prepared by fermentation. According to housewives, fermented spicy vegetables fly off the table in a matter of minutes. Preparing the appetizer is as simple as oven-baked “boats,” but it will take more time. If you want to surprise your guests with pickled stuffed eggplants, remember that it takes time to ferment the vegetables: the “little blue” ones can only be tasted three days after preparation.
Pickled stuffed eggplants are a homemade version of Korean-style vegetables that are sold at the market or in a store. There is only one difference - having prepared the snack with your own hands, you will be confident in its quality.
Stuffed with carrots
Peculiarities. Eggplants stuffed with carrots and garlic turn out piquant. Snacks can diversify both the holiday menu and the everyday menu. It is important to maintain proportions so that it turns out delicious. If you like very spicy snacks, add chili pepper.
Ingredients
- “little blue” medium size – 1 kg;
- carrots - three large vegetables;
- garlic - six cloves;
- salt - one and a half tablespoons;
- vinegar (6%) – tablespoon;
- black peppercorns - five peas;
- bay leaf - one;
- water – 700 ml (for brine).
Stages
- Prepare the eggplants: remove the stems from the washed vegetables. Make a longitudinal cut on each eggplant. It should be deep - reach beyond the middle of the vegetable.
- Place the eggplants in a large saucepan, add half a teaspoon of salt, pour boiling water over them (the vegetables should be covered with water). Boil for five minutes.
- Place the vegetables on the grill and press down with pressure. Its role can be played by a container of water. Keep the vegetables under pressure until they cool. This is necessary so that excess liquid is removed - the eggplants will become dense and lose their bitterness.
- Chop the carrots, add sliced garlic to it.
- Rub the inner walls of the eggplants through the cut with salt and add the carrot and garlic filling.
- Place the stuffed eggplants in a tight row in a container. When choosing it, keep in mind that oppression will be placed on top of the vegetables. You can use, for example, duck meat.
- Cook the marinade: boil 700 ml of water, add the remaining salt and spices. When the marinade has cooled a little, pour vinegar into it.
- Pour the marinade over the eggplants. Put the vegetables under pressure. Keep it at room temperature for three days, then put it in the refrigerator for a day, and then try it.
Pickled eggplants are stored in jars closed with nylon lids. The snack needs to be eaten a month in advance.
Stuffed with cabbage
Peculiarities. Pickled eggplants stuffed with cabbage will be an excellent addition to mashed potatoes, dumplings with potatoes, dumplings and meat dishes. When serving, pour vegetable oil over the pickled vegetables - it’s tastier.
Ingredients
- “little blue” – 1.5 kg;
- white cabbage – 400 g;
- carrots - two large;
- sweet pepper – two pieces;
- garlic - two cloves;
- water – 1.5 l (for brine);
- salt – 70 g (for brine);
- spices - optional.
Stages
- Wash the eggplants, remove the stems. Prick each vegetable with a fork in several places.
- Place the eggplants in a saucepan and add water (to cover). After boiling, simmer for five minutes. After it has cooled, make deep cuts along the length: you should get two connected halves.
- Prepare the filling: chop the cabbage, chop the pepper, grate the carrots. Mix vegetables. Squeeze the garlic here. Add salt and leave for a while so that the cabbage releases its juice.
- Start preparing the brine: add salt to the water, boil, cool.
- Squeeze the juice from the prepared “blue” ones. Stuff it. Wrap it with thread so it doesn't fall apart.
- Place the stuffed eggplants in a deep container. Press down on top with pressure. Leave it to ferment at room temperature for two days, then put it in the refrigerator for a day, and you can try it.
You can stock up on pickled stuffed eggplants for the winter. If you store them under a nylon lid, then within a month they can ferment. But if, after fermentation, drain the marinade and prepare a new one with vinegar, and use sterilized jars as containers, then the appetizer can be rolled up.
It’s easy to prepare stuffed eggplants during the season – all the ingredients are available. But what to do when summer is over? A thrifty housewife will always have frozen preparations in her refrigerator. Eggplants are frozen only after heat treatment, otherwise after defrosting the vegetables will turn into “bitter cotton wool”. Before freezing, the “little blue ones” can be boiled, baked in the oven or stewed. Don't forget about pre-soaking. If all the rules are followed, you can please your household with stuffed eggplants at any time: it will be enough to defrost the preparations for pickled vegetables or “baking molds”.
