A rich and smoky dish with roasted eggplants, savory meatballs, and a creamy cheesy béchamel – inspired by traditional Turkish flavors.
Turkish-Style Stuffed Eggplants (Vinete Umplute în Stil Turcesc)
Ingredients
For the eggplants:
For the meatballs:
For the béchamel-cheese sauce:
Instructions
-
Roast the eggplants:
- Bake the whole eggplants directly over the stove flame (for a smoky flavor) or in the oven.
- Once soft, place in a bowl, cut them in half, and let them cool.
- Tilt the bowl to collect the juice left by the eggplants and set it aside (optional, for extra flavor).
-
Prepare the meatballs:
- In a bowl, mix together the minced meat, grated onion, soaked bread (squeezed), chopped parsley, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Optional: add grated garlic for extra flavor.
- Shape into small meatballs and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake at 200°C (392°F) for about 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Let the meatballs cool.
-
Peel and chop the eggplants:
- Peel the cooled roasted eggplants.
- Chop them finely using a glass knife, wooden knife, or regular knife.
-
Make the béchamel sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt the butter.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds.
- Gradually pour in the cold milk while whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Add a pinch of salt and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted.
- Add the chopped roasted eggplants and a bit of black pepper.
- Finally, fold in the baked meatballs and mix gently.
