Alinazik

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground beef (250 g)
• 1/2 lb ground lamb (250 g)
• 1/2 onion, grated or pulsed in a food processor
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• small handful of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp seven spice or all spice powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch red chili flakes
• 25 g butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large eggplants
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste, about 1/4-1/2 tsp

Instructions

1. 1

   --- For the meat and the sauce: ---

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Add all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well until combined. You can use gloved hands or a spoon to mix. I prefer using hands!

3. 3

   Form the meat mixture into oblong meatball shapes as pictured. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cooked through.

4. 4

   In the video, you'll see I added the kafta to a skillet and just browned them a little more to get a little bit of the flavor from the meat into the sauce, this is optional. If doing so, remove the kafta from the pan after they brown.

5. 5

   Add the butter, garlic, coriander powder, paprika powder to the pan and stir until butter melts. Add the tomato paste and stir, letting the mixture bubble for about 30 seconds. The sauce is ready! Set aside.

6. 6

   --- For the eggplant puree: ---

7. 7

   Heat oven to 400 F (205C). Place whole eggplants directly on a baking sheet close to the oven broiler. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning over halfway through until eggplant is completely soft and wrinkly and tender, then remove from the oven. Let eggplant cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin in strips.

8. 8

   Add all the ingredients for the eggplant puree, into a bowl of a food processor or you can mix by hand. Process until combined, but with a little texture. If doing this by hand, chop the eggplant and stir in all the other ingredients.

9. 9

   --- To Assemble: ---

10. 10

    Add the eggplant puree to your serving plate. Top with the kafta kabab, as many pieces as you like. Drizzle the sauce on top evenly, and garnish with chopped parsley or coriander or diced green bell pepper, and enjoy with pita bread!