Patlıcan Oturtma (Layered Oven-Baked Eggplant with Ground Beef)

Peel the eggplants in alternating strips and cut them into 2 cm-thick rounds. Arrange the slices in a colander and sprinkle salt over both sides. While they drain, which requires no active work, heat the oven to 210°C / 410°F and prepare the filling. When the slices have begun to sweat and droplets appear on the surface, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet with space between them and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake at 210°C / 410°F for 20 minutes, until the undersides are browned and the slices feel soft when pressed with a finger.

Cook the ground beef in a wide skillet over high heat, letting it release its liquid and then continuing to brown it until the liquid has evaporated and no pink remains. Add the finely chopped onion, long green pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onion softens, then add 20 g of the tomato paste and stir until its raw smell is gone. Add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped parsley.

Reduce the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Arrange the pre-baked eggplant slices in a single, snug layer in a 25 × 35 cm baking dish. Top each slice with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and press it down gently. Add a tomato round to each, then tuck the whole long green peppers between the slices.

Whisk the remaining tomato paste with hot water and pour it into the bottom of the dish between the slices, without wetting the filling. Bake at 180°C / 355°F for 30 minutes. Remove when the water has cooked off, a thick sauce remains at the bottom, and the edges of the tomato rounds have shriveled.

Remove the dish from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes so the filling settles onto the eggplant. Lift the slices out whole with a spatula, keeping the topping in place, and serve with rice pilaf and yogurt.