Stuffed Eggplant Appetizer with Vegetables

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather everything you need for these delicious stuffed eggplants. This is a recipe you can play with again and again, swapping in different fillings to suit your taste.

2. Step 2:

   

   Set a pot filled about one-third with water on the stove to heat and stir in one tablespoon of salt. Trim the stem ends off the eggplants and make a lengthwise slit down each one — this lets the bitterness escape and forms a pocket for the filling.

3. Step 3:

   

   Drop the eggplants into the boiling water and cook until fully tender, about twenty minutes depending on their size.

4. Step 4:

   

   To make the marinade, pour 250 ml (about 1 cup) of water into a measuring cup and add two bay leaves and a few black peppercorns.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add two tablespoons of sugar.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add one tablespoon of salt and bring it to a boil on the stove, stirring until the sugar and salt fully dissolve, then turn off the heat and let it cool.

7. Step 7:

   

   Stir three tablespoons of 9% vinegar and two tablespoons of vegetable oil into the marinade, then set it aside to cool completely.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cut the bell pepper into small dice.

9. Step 9:

   

   Dice the tomatoes into small pieces as well.

10. Step 10:

    

    Put the chopped vegetables in a bowl.

11. Step 11:

    

    Add four cloves of garlic put through a press.

12. Step 12:

    

    Finely chop the parsley and basil.

13. Step 13:

    

    Once the eggplants are tender, drain the water and turn them out into a colander. Set a weight on top to press out the excess liquid.

14. Step 14:

    

    Add the chopped herbs to the bowl with the rest of the vegetables.

15. Step 15:

    

    Cut one carrot into thin matchsticks in a food processor and add it to the bowl.

16. Step 16:

    

    For a little heat, mince one-quarter of the hot chili very finely and add it to the vegetables.

17. Step 17:

    

    Add one tablespoon of seasoned sea salt, one tablespoon of sugar, and one tablespoon of vinegar to the bowl.

18. Step 18:

    

    Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.

19. Step 19:

    

    Open each eggplant along the slit and gently press the flesh apart.

20. Step 20:

    

    Pack each eggplant generously with the vegetable filling.

21. Step 21:

    

    Layer the stuffed eggplants in a large bowl, spooning the cooled marinade generously over each one.

22. Step 22:

    

    Refrigerate the eggplants for at least four hours, though overnight is best. Then arrange them on plates and serve as part of an everyday meal or a holiday spread. Enjoy!