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Turkish Eggplant and Peppers with Tomatoes and Garlicky Yogurt

4 to 6 Servings

1 hour

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Köpoğlu is a classic Turkish meze consisting of silky eggplant and tender-crisp peppers, plus tomatoes that are cooked to concentrate their sweet-tart flavors, all finished with cool, creamy, garlic-­laced yogurt. There are many ways to prepare the dish; ours is modeled on the version we tasted at Giritli Restoran in Istanbul. Soaking prepped eggplant in salted acidulated water before cooking is a curious technique called for in many recipes for köpoğlu; we were pleasantly surprised by the results when we gave it a go. Soaking, we found, improves flavor by taming any bitter notes while also seasoning the eggplant throughout. Additionally, the pieces absorb some water during their soak, which in turn reduces oil absorption during cooking. Either bulbous globe eggplants or slender Asian varieties do well here, so use whichever you prefer. The meze requires easy assembly before serving: sautéed peppers and eggplant are plated, then topped with yogurt, followed by a fragrant sauce made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and paprika, finished with a sprinkle of parsley. Serve at room temperature with warm flatbread on the side for scooping and dipping.

4 to 6

Servings

Tip

Don’t forget to add lemon juice to the soaking water for the eggplant. The acid prevents the eggplant from discoloring. Be sure to dry the eggplant after draining; a gentle pat to wick away surface moisture is all that’s needed.

1 hour

Ingredients

  • pounds eggplant (see headnote), peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks

  • 1

    tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Pardon the interruption

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Reviews
Felix S.
July 23, 2023
Deliciously authentic!!
My wife is Turkish Aegean and I just came back from summer break in the Izmir region one week ago. This recipe was good enough to put in front of my Iron Chef of a mother-in-law and garner respect 🫡
Dennis D.
January 22, 2023
Great combination!
This sauce is so good! I think it would be great on pasta as well. I made it with one Anaheim pepper and one poblano, because that is what I had. Along with homemade Greek yogurt, this came out really nicely.
Robert W.
January 18, 2023
Outstanding recipe with unexpected depth of flavor
I wasn't anticipating such a flavorful dish from something with relatively basic ingredients, but it was incredibly good. Following Mary O.'s lead, I added 1 tsp of aleppo pepper to the tomato sauce. The result had us scraping any remaining sauce off the serving dish with our lavash. Very highly recommended!
Brenda S.
January 12, 2023
Excellent
This has great flavor and is easy to make. Received the you can make this again rating which is rare for a vegetable dish. Definitely a repeat dish during late summer when the ingredients are abundant locally.
Mary O.
January 6, 2023
Absolutely delicious!
A very deceptive, humble sounding recipe that was absolutely amazing! The eggplant prep was easy and definitely made a difference. The yogurt took it over the top. I added a little Aleppo pepper but that was the only thing I changed. This is one of the top eggplant dishes I ever had!