Turkish cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Köpoğlu

Fried eggplant and pepper pieces over garlic yogurt, topped with tomato sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 eggplants
• 2 green pointed peppers
• 400 g yogurt (10%)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Peel the eggplants in stripes, cut into 2 cm cubes, soak in salted water for 15 min. and then pat very dry so they don't soak up oil while frying.
2. Seed the pointed peppers and cut into wide rings; crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a fine paste and stir into the yogurt.
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the eggplant cubes over medium heat for 10–12 min. until golden brown all over and creamy soft inside; drain on paper towels.
4. Fry the pepper rings in the same oil for 4–5 min. until the skin blisters, and drain them too; let the vegetables cool to room temperature.
5. Dice the tomatoes and simmer them in the butter with the tomato paste uncovered for 8 min. until a thick, glossy sauce forms; season with salt.
6. Spread the garlic yogurt on a flat platter, arrange the eggplant and peppers on top, spoon the lukewarm tomato sauce over and serve sprinkled with Aleppo pepper.