A light, high-protein take on the classic Turkish karnıyarık, oven-baked instead of fried and filled with lean ground beef.
Written by
Ecem Akkaba · Dietitian
Dietitian, graduate of İstanbul Medipol University. She develops the recipes and nutrition values on FitZen.
Updated:
Fit Karnıyarık – Oven-Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Lean Beef contains 325 calories per serving: 29 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate and 13 g fat. It takes 50 minutes in total and makes 2 servings.
Karnıyarık, a classic of Turkish cuisine, is prepared in this fit version by baking the eggplants instead of frying them. Thanks to a filling of lean ground beef and plenty of vegetables, you get a low-calorie, satisfying, high-protein main dish.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a tray with baking paper.
Peel the eggplants in stripes, make a lengthwise slit, and soak them in salted water for 15 minutes to remove bitterness.
Pat the eggplants dry, brush with a little olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes until softened.
In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden.
Add the lean ground beef and cook until it browns and the liquid evaporates.
Add the pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the parsley.
Open the center of the baked eggplants with a spoon and fill them with the mixture.
Drizzle the hot water over them and bake for another 15 minutes at 200°C.
Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
FeaturedMediumA lightened-up version of Korea's iconic bibimbap: brown rice, colorful vegetables, lean beef and one egg for a balanced, protein-packed bowl.
MediumWest Africa's best-known rice dish cooks in a tomato and red pepper sauce. This version uses brown rice and delivers 7 g of fibre per serving.
MediumIran's best-loved soup brings together three pulses, a mountain of herbs and noodles. 16 g of protein and 12 g of fibre per serving.
Get started
Download it, create your account, photograph your first plate. Setup takes under a minute. Start with the free version; the yearly Premium plan includes a 3-day free trial for eligible new users.
FitZen Premium: weekly or yearly plan. Prices vary by country — see the current price in the App Store or Google Play.
