Karnıyarık in the Air Fryer
Baked aubergines stuffed with spiced lamb mince, rice and toasted pine nuts — a Turkish classic that turns deeply tender and lightly crisp in the air fryer. Served with a simmered tomato sauce and cool garlic yoghurt.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pande
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Aubergines
4 pcs aubergines About 250 g each
2 tbsp olive oil For brushing
1 tsp salt
Spiced lamb filling
400 g lamb mince
1.5 dl cooked rice E.g. basmati, ideally cold
4 pcs spring onions Finely chopped, save the green parts for garnish
2 clove garlic Finely chopped
40 g pine nuts- 1 tbsp olive oil
2 pcs tomatoes Finely diced
1 tbsp tomato purée- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
0.5 tsp chilli flakes Adjust to taste
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt and pepper Freshly ground pepper
15 g fresh parsley Roughly chopped
Tomato and yoghurt sauce
400 g chopped tomatoes 1 tin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 dl Greek yoghurt 10 %- 1 clove garlic Crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse 4 pcs aubergines and halve them lengthways. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife, without cutting through the skin.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over the cut surfaces, and leave the aubergines to sit for 10 minutes. Pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper, and brush the cut surfaces with 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat, and toast 40 g pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until golden. Tip them straight into a bowl so they don't burn.
- Put 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan, and fry the white parts of 4 pcs spring onions together with 2 clove garlic for 2 minutes. Then add 400 g lamb mince, and brown it for 5-6 minutes, breaking the mince into smaller pieces as you go.
- Stir 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 0.5 tsp chilli flakes, 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp salt and pepper into the mince, and let the spices fry along for 1 minute.
- Add 2 pcs tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato purée, and let the filling simmer for 5 minutes until it holds together. Use a meat thermometer to check that the mince has reached 75 °C.
- Fold 1.5 dl cooked rice, the toasted pine nuts and 15 g fresh parsley into the filling, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C fan.
- Place the aubergine halves in the basket cut side up in a single layer, and bake them for 14 minutes at 180 °C until the flesh is tender and lightly golden. Don't turn them during cooking.
- Press a hollow into the baked aubergine flesh with a spoon, and divide the spiced lamb filling between the halves. Press the filling down lightly so it stays in place.
- Bake the stuffed aubergines for a further 12 minutes at 180 °C until the filling is piping hot all the way through and the top is lightly crisp.
Sauce and serving
- Put 400 g chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp dried oregano into the pan the mince was fried in, and let the sauce simmer for 8 minutes over medium heat until it has thickened. Season to taste with salt.
- Stir 2 dl Greek yoghurt together with 1 clove garlic and 1 tbsp lemon juice, and season the sauce with salt.
- Spread the tomato sauce over four plates, place the aubergines on top, and add a dollop of garlic yoghurt. Sprinkle with the green parts of the spring onions, and serve straight away.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Salt the aubergines and pat them thoroughly dry before baking. It draws out the water, so the flesh turns creamy instead of watery, and the skin holds its shape while baking. Variation:
Swap the lamb for beef mince, or make a vegetarian version with cooked chickpeas and an extra handful of pine nuts. Serving:
Serve with a simple salad of tomato, cucumber and parsley — and a little extra rice on the side. Extra spicy:
Increase the chilli flakes to 1 tsp, or stir 1 tsp Turkish pul biber into the filling for a rounder, smokier heat. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the smaller side, you can bake the aubergines in two batches and assemble them at the end.
Salt the aubergines and pat them thoroughly dry before baking. It draws out the water, so the flesh turns creamy instead of watery, and the skin holds its shape while baking. Variation:
Swap the lamb for beef mince, or make a vegetarian version with cooked chickpeas and an extra handful of pine nuts. Serving:
Serve with a simple salad of tomato, cucumber and parsley — and a little extra rice on the side. Extra spicy:
Increase the chilli flakes to 1 tsp, or stir 1 tsp Turkish pul biber into the filling for a rounder, smokier heat. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the smaller side, you can bake the aubergines in two batches and assemble them at the end.
Nutrition
Calories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 25gFat: 40gSaturated fat: 13gPolyunsaturated fat: 6gMonounsaturated fat: 16gTrans fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 1250mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 850IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3.1mgNet carbohydrates: 17g
