Bram Stoker, Dracula
I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was ‘mamaliga’, and eggplant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call ‘impletata”. (Mem., get recipe for this also.)
Eggplant Impletata
Impletata is a traditional Romanian dish, similar to a stuffed eggplant. This recipe will use ground meat as the filling.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 lb ground meat pork, beef or a combination
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of uncooked white rice
- 1/2 cup of warm water
- 1/4 cup of parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh still attached to the skin. Reserve the eggplant flesh.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground meat until browned. Drain any excess fat.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened.
- Add the diced tomatoes, uncooked rice, warm water, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
- Mash the reserved eggplant flesh and add it to the skillet with the meat mixture. Stir to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Stuff the eggplant halves with the meat mixture, packing it in tightly.
- Place the eggplants in a baking dish, and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the eggplants are cooked through and the tops are golden brown.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley or sour cream, if desired.
Notes
Impletata can be served with a porridge made from maize flour, also known as mămăligă. It is a traditional Romanian side dish.