The Story of the Recipe

Serves 2-4, Prep Time: 15 mins, Cooking Time: 30 mins
My mother took advantage of the opportunity for the family to come together during the holiday and cooked the eggplants she had dried since the summer for dinner. When you buy eggplants, preferably during sunny days, slice them lengthwise, like a plus sign, dividing them into quarters. Then, thread them on a string and let them dry in a sunny spot. They become very flavorful during the winter months. You can dry other vegetables like bell peppers in the same way. Anyway, let's get back to the recipe.

Ingredients for Dried Eggplant Stew

• 5-6 pieces of dried eggplant
• 2-3 pieces of dried red bell peppers
• 1 red kapya pepper
• 1 onion
• 4 tablespoons of fine bulgur
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper paste
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Hot water

How to Make Dried Eggplant Stew

1. Take five dried eggplants and two dried red bell peppers in a pot, and add enough water to cover them. Boil until they soften. If you don't have dried bell peppers, you can add fresh red bell peppers in the later stages.
2. Once the boiling is complete, drain the water from the vegetables and rinse them with cold water.
3. Chop the onion into small pieces and slice the garlic thinly.
4. Slice the boiled dried eggplant and dried bell peppers.
5. Take another pot, add vegetable oil, and sauté the onion and garlic until the onions turn pink. You can add minced meat at this stage if you prefer.
6. Then, if you are using it, add the washed and chopped kapya pepper and sauté until it softens. If you have dried peppers, you can skip this step.
7. Add the tomato and red pepper paste, and sauté for a few more minutes until their aroma comes out.
8. Mix in the chopped dried eggplants, dried bell peppers, and bulgur. Add hot water to cover the ingredients by about 2-3 fingers, adjust the salt, stir, and let it simmer over low heat.
9. Once the bulgur is well-cooked, your dried eggplant stew is ready to be served. I recommend serving it with yogurt on the side. Enjoy your meal!

Images