Patëllxhana të Mbushura — Albanian Stuffed Eggplants with Meat, Tomatoes & Onion
- Dervis Kanina
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Comfort Food, the Albanian Way
Stuffed eggplants are one of those dishes every Albanian family makes their own way. Tender eggplant halves filled with a savoury mix of ground meat, ripe tomatoes and sweet onions, baked until golden and bubbling. Simple ingredients, honest cooking, pure comfort.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Medium eggplants — 4
Ground beef (or beef and pork mix) — 300g
Onions, finely diced — 2 medium
Tomatoes, diced — 3 medium (or 400g canned)
Garlic, minced — 3 cloves
Olive oil — 3 tbsp
Salt — 1 tsp
Black pepper — 1/2 tsp
Dried oregano (rigon) — 1 tsp
Fresh parsley, chopped — small bunch
White cheese or feta, crumbled — 50g (optional, for topping)
Method
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin.
Sprinkle with salt and let sit 15–20 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Place eggplant halves cut-side down and cook 4–5 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to a baking tray cut-side up.
In the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more.
Add ground meat, break it up, cook until browned. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
Add diced tomatoes. Cook 8–10 minutes until the mixture thickens and liquid reduces. Stir in parsley.
Scoop out some eggplant flesh to create space. Chop it roughly and mix into the meat filling.
Spoon filling generously into each eggplant half. Crumble white cheese on top if using.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes until eggplants are completely tender and tops are golden.
Rest 5 minutes before serving. Great with fresh bread and a simple salad.
Dervis's Tip: Don't skip salting the eggplants — it draws out bitterness and excess moisture, which means better flavour and crispier edges. For a richer bake, add a splash of tomato juice to the bottom of the tray before it goes in the oven.
Comments