Tepsi Baytinijan

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines, about 800 g
• 2 tsp salt for salting the aubergine
• 500 g minced beef or lamb
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 tsp baharat
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 medium potatoes
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 6 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 ml hot water
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Vegetable oil for frying

Before you cook

• Slice the aubergines into 1 cm rounds, lay them on a tray, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes, then pat them dry.
• Grate the small onion and squeeze out the excess juice.
• Slice the potatoes, tomatoes and large onion into 5 mm rounds.
• Whisk the tomato paste, turmeric, cinnamon and a teaspoon of salt into the hot water.

Steps

1. Mix the minced meat with the grated onion, baharat, black pepper, salt and parsley until it is well combined and slightly sticky.
2. Roll the mixture into balls the size of a large marble, about 24 in total.
3. Heat a 1 cm depth of oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Fry the aubergine slices in batches for 2 minutes a side until golden, then drain them on kitchen paper.
5. Fry the potato slices in the same oil for 3 minutes a side until they have colour but are not yet cooked through, and drain them.
6. Brown the meatballs in the pan for 4 minutes, rolling them so they colour on all sides, then lift them out.
7. Heat the oven to 200C.
8. Lay the fried aubergine slices across the base of a large baking dish, overlapping them slightly.
9. Scatter the meatballs evenly over the aubergine and tuck the whole garlic cloves between them.
10. Cover with a layer of onion rings, then the tomato slices, and finish with the potato slices arranged over the top.
11. Pour the tomato broth slowly around the edges of the dish so it seeps to the bottom without washing off the top layer.
12. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
13. Take off the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are browned at the edges and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
14. Let the tray sit for 10 minutes before serving, so the layers settle and cut cleanly.
15. Serve with plain white rice and pickles.