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First of all, the turkish translation of eggplant : 'patlican'.
As all you know, this is a very important topic.
But, did you know that in old days, the main reason for fires were eggplants in Istanbul?
Because , as soon as patlican appeared in the green grocers, people would start cooking it, frying it mainly. And, of course, in those days, the houses were wooden houses. A spark and then here come the fire..
Ok . place and importance of patlican in our daily lives (it was my original name of the topic actually)..
Did you know that patlican is originally from India and met with the Turks in 16 century, and americans did not know anything about it until mid 20th century? (I am sure you did NOT) (patlicans in america are white and small and that is the reason why they call it 'eggplant'..phew..another historic information )
Anyway.
There are 3 different patlicans in turkey "bostan patlıcanı, kemer patlıcanı, beyaz-white- patlıcan".(Beyaz patlican is called pink patlican in some regions.)
Kemer patlican is straight, shiney and thin skinned with little seeds in it (perfect kind for salads -another useful info.). Bostan patlican is rounded and contains much water (for musakkas). white patlican is white apperantly and perfect for pickles and jams ( :-S )
And I am also sure, you did not know that there are more than 300 recipies in Turkish cuisine with patlican.
(Now I am telling you..there are more than 300 recipies in Turkish cuisine with patlican)
And these recipes include 'bread with patlican' and 'baklava with patlican' ( :-S ) (these are also an undeniable proof of how creative we/turks are).
some useful info about patlican:
100 gr patlıcan contains 24gr calorie,1.1 g protein, 2 g fat, and 5.5 g carbonhydrate,
Vitamins(per 100g): 30 g A, 0.4 mg B1, 0.5mg B2, 5mg C.
ok ok..lets finish this important subject with a recipe
Patlican Musakka (Turkish Recipe)
Ingredients:
* 6 medium size (1 kg / 2 pounds) eggplant
* 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) olive oil (absorbed during frying)
* 1 1/4 cups (250 g) ground meat
* 2 small size (100 g) onions
* 2 medium size (250 g) tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons (10 g) tomato paste
* 2 teaspoons (12 g) sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup (120 g) water
* 2-3 sprigs (6 g) parsley
Instructions:
Pare eggplants in strips and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick slices. Brown lightly in oil in a non-stick pan until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from pan, reserving oil. Layer eggplants in a shallow pan.
Add ground meat and finely chopped onions to oil left in pan; stir. Brown for 8-10 minutes or until meat is crumbly; drain.
Stir in 1 diced tomato, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add water, mixing well. Bring to boil.
Pour mixture over eggplants and spread. Top with sliced tomato. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (or bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes) until tender.
Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley leaves before serving. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings.
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