What? The summer is almost over and only two eggplant recipes on the blog? Unbelievable, inexcusable and unthinkable, all together. So, it’s time to compensate you for my oversight with the ultimate, delicious, summery eggplant recipe. Greek stuffed eggplant, called “melitzanes papoutsakia” = “eggplant little shoes” in Greek. Right! Little shoes! Why? Well, just take a look at the shape of the eggplant and let your imagination run wild.
THE HISTORY!
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The origin of this recipe is lost in the Ottoman cuisine and the thousands of ways of cooking eggplant from central Asia to the Middle East. Eggplants were introduced to Greece mostly during the Ottoman’s occupation and spread throughout the Balkans. However, the Greek version includes a lush topping of béchamel sauce, a relatively new addition to this dish introduced by the famous Greek chef Tselementes back in 1920. His books shared his vision for a refined Greek cuisine and confronted many traditional recipes to the French cuisine. This explains the addition of French cooking elements to this recipe and many others like the famous Greek moussaka. You may keep the sauce or replace it with lighter and even vegetarian options mentioned below.
But first things first. Ready for the recipe?
THE RECIPE
THE EGGPLANT
In a nutshell, bake the eggplants. My stuffed eggplant recipe is a tasty alternative to the heavy fried eggplant recipe. Frying has never been my favorite cooking way. I assure you that baked eggplant is equally delicious and much easier to digest than fried one. Optional but highly recommended to sprinkle eggplant with salt and set aside for about 30 minutes to draw out its bitterness and moisture.
THE MEAT
In the meantime, prepare the ground meat. Choose pretty much whatever red meat you want: beef, pork, lamb. Nevertheless, if you want this dish to be an amazing culinary experience, make it with ground lamb. Highly recommended! Try something new, get out of your comfort zone and cook with new ingredients. Lamb is so much tastier than beef with bold, rich flavor that almost explodes in your mouth from the first bite. Believe me, it is a very modest description of its taste. Combined with eggplant it gives you an insanely delicious meal. Topped with the creamy sauce and you cannot get enough of it!
THE BECHAMEL
The Greek version of the béchamel sauce has the extra addition of beaten eggs and often cheese. Well, let’s say it isn’t the lighter dish of the Mediterranean cuisine. Truth being said, Greek stuffed eggplant is more on the comfort food zone.
By the time the eggplants are baked, the ground meat and the béchamel sauce should be ready for you to assemble. Easy and fun part.…and bake for a while.
Ready to serve.
You may make ahead of time the eggplants and the meat and finish with the béchamel sauce half an hour before you serve the dish. Not only they freeze extremely well but they are even tastier the following day. I have never frozen them but I am quite sure they will be just fine.
VARIATIONS
Here are some suggestions so that you choose your favorite version:
Make a lighter sauce. How about a yogurt sauce instead of the thick, rich creamy béchamel one? This one is perfect for baked veggies. I love it with Briam which is another exquisite eggplant recipe.
Make it Paleo. Top it with tomato, pepper slices, and olive oil. I called it the “lazy papoutsakia” and I serve it when I am too bored to make the béchamel sauce. You know one of these days when you want to make something quick, tasty and healthy. While researching for this post, I found out that it is actually a Turkish recipe called “Karniyarik”, extremely popular. How cool is that?
Make it vegetarian. Replace the meat with your favorite veggies. I highly recommend mushrooms for that recipe and top it with cheese like feta, parmesan, whatever you like or you have at hand.
READY! NOW, WHAT?
Serve with your favorite salad. I recommend a Greek salad, rich in capers (try to find capers leaves. Crazy, delicious ingredient) and olives. Their acidity is so tastefully combined with the creamy and meaty baked eggplants. Something important is missing. Hello!!! The wine! Serve it with red dry wine like Agiorgitiko or Xinomavro and you are going to have an amazing dinner, ladies, and gentlemen!
Show me what you made on Instagram. Tag me to see your Greek stuffed eggplant masterpieces and follow me for more day to day Mediterranean cooking tips, meals, ideas, and a healthy lifestyle.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Greek Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggplants
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, pepper, oregano to taste
GROUND MEAT SAUCE
- 1pound (500g) beef and/or lamb ground
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 medium fresh tomatoes chopped
- 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
- ⅔ cup (55g) parmesan or pecorino or kefalotyri cheese grated
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons parsley or/and mint
- Salt, pepper too taste
BECHAMEL SAUCE
- 1 ⅛ cup (300ml) lukewarm milk
- ⅛ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- ⅛ cup (30g) butter
- ⅔ cup (55g) parmesan or pecorino or kefalotyri cheese grated
- 2 egg yolks beaten
- 1 punch of nutmeg optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 392°F (200°C).
THE EGGPLANT
- Trim ends from eggplant (optional) and halve lengthwise.
- Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt (optional). Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant slices and dry them with paper towels.
- Use a sharp knife to criss-cross and score the flesh. You should only carve each eggplant half, not puncture or cut them completely down to the skin. Brush eggplant skin and flesh with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Place the eggplant halves on a parchment-lined baking pan, cut side down. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
GROUND MEAT SAUCE
- In the meantime, in a large pan or deep skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onion for 5 minutes and stir in the garlic for another for 3 minutes. Add the ground meat, stir lightly and sauté for 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, and cinnamon (optional), raise heat to medium-high and simmer for at least 20 minutes until most of the liquid cooks off. Remove from heat, add the cheese, parsley or/and mint. Remove the cinnamon stick if used. Set aside to cool.
- While the meat sauce is simmering prepare the bechamel.
THE BECHAMEL
- Add the butter to a small pot over medium-low heat. Once it melts add the flour, salt, pepper and stir continuously for a few mins. Add gradually (3-4 times) the lukewarm milk*(1) to the flour/butter mixture. Each time stir vigorously and wait until the milk is completely incorporated. Remove from heat*(2) and add the nutmeg (optional), cheese, egg yolks, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens.
ASSEMBLING
- Use a spoon to fill the eggplant halves with meat sauce. Top with béchamel and bake in a preheated 356 °F (180°C) oven for 20 mins or until browned.
- Serve with fresh chopped parsley (optional) and a fine red dry wine (recommended).
Notes
- The milk should be at least at room temperature. If you add cold milk, your sauce will be lumpy.
- It would be better to let the sauce cool for a few minutes before stirring in the egg yolks.
Christine says
Hi, I thought normally you would scoop out the cooked flesh and mix into meat then fill the eggplants, would that be fine if I do that?
Sylia says
Hello Christine! Thank you for stopping by. It will be just fine. Another way to do the same thing. I hope you love the recipe. XXX Sylia
Mary Glasse says
I was going to ask the same question! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Sylia says
Hello Mary. Thank you so much. I am sure you are going to love it!
Sylia
dimitra says
Hello lovely recipe!!! Easy and tasty!!! Although i am from greece i cooked it for the very first time and the result was great!!!
Thanks ❤️
Sylia says
Thank you so much, Dimitra for your kind comment. This dish is truly amazing and I am so excited you liked it! Stay tuned for more traditional Greek recipes.
Kisses,
Sylia
Lagefam says
Tried this for my Manchild tonight.... I can not have it with the Bachemele (damn lactose) He only mentioned that he was not a fan of the cinnamon and nutmeg, nut otherwise it was AWESOWE
He is Portuguese but we have been frequenting a Greek Restaurant lately... OPA!!!!
Sylia says
Thank you so much! Yes, cinnamon and nutmeg can be really intense for someone who is not familiar with their taste. Skip them next time or use half the recommended quantity.
Rose Rodier says
This recipe sounds delicious. I love anything made with eggplant. Thank you.
Sylia says
Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind comment.
Marion says
Loved it, so tasty
Sylia says
Dear Marion, you have just put a smile on my face. Thank you 🙂
Carolyn says
Hi Sylia. I don’t usually bother with reviews but felt I had to onthis occasion. My husband and I recently returned from Ouranoupolis where we ate this dish for the first time. I have just made it with your delicious recipe but did leave out nutmeg and cinnamon as I‘m
not keen on the taste. It was absolutely wonderful and my husband commented it was one of the tastiest meals he has eaten in ages. So thank you so much for sharing this lovely dish.
Sylia says
I read your comment first thing in the morning along with a big cup of Greek coffee. It was the perfect start not only of the day but for the whole week. Thank you so much for your feedback. I will post moussaka recipe soon so if you like stuffed eggplant, I think you are going to find moussaka delicious as well.
Kisses XXX
Shirley Camilleri says
Hello, looks lovely as havnt tried it yet. Do you empty the inside of the aubergine after cooking in the oven , to be able to fill it?
Sylia says
Hello Shirley. Thank you for stopping by. I usually use a fork and lightly press the top of the aubergine (see the picture above) but you may empty it instead and mix it with the ground meat. It works both ways. Let me know how it went!
xxx
Sylia
Kaye Forshaw says
Hello, we had a bumper crop of eggplant this summer (in NZ) and I have made this a couple of times, delicious!!
Today I have left over roast lamb that I have minced up and I will try it using this added with the rest of the ingredients.My husband and I have loved the eggplant recipes and look forward to next summer now- will plant some more.
Sylia says
Hello from Athens! Wonderful, Kaye! Lamb pairs like a charm with this dish. Thank you so much for your feedback and stay tuned for more eggplant recipes.
xxx
Sylia
Kyree Gerson says
Hello! Is it possible to assemble this recipe entirely and then bake it off the following day?
Sylia says
Hello there! Thank you for stopping by! Absolutely yes! Assemble, cover the baking pan with cling film or foil and keep it in the fridge up to 24 hours.
xxx
Sylia
Shelbie says
I am a personal chef and chose to make this for a client today. I substituted ground Turkey, as this is my clients request, but otherwise followed your recipe to the letter... I’m so glad that I made extra for me because I loved it!
Thank you! I can’t wait to make it again!
Sylia says
Thank you so much, Shelbie! I am truly honored. I suggest you taste moussaka as well. An amazing traditional recipe with eggplant https://30daysofgreekfood.com/authentic-greek-moussaka-step-by-step-tutorial/
xxx
Sylia
Myndi Mathwin says
So delicious! My husband and I had a great time cooking this meal, but eating it was even better!! Thank you!
Sylia says
Thank you so much, Myndi! Your feedback is precious.
xxx
Sylia
Keti says
I usually don't comment on recipes, but this was so good, I had to thank you for sharing it. I made it with ground beef but next time I will try it with lamb. Even my daughter, who doesn't like eggplants and was very sceptical, cleared her dish. We all loved it! Thanks again.
Sylia says
Dear Keti, thank you for your feedback. So glad you liked it especially your daughter.
xxx
Sylia
eloise says
Love, love this beautiful recipe. Thank you so much for posting it.
Sylia says
Dear Eloise,
You made my Sunday even brighter. Comments like yours motivate me to be better everyday! Thank you!
XXX
Sylia