Antep Sögürme

Preparation

• 1
  Preheat the oven grill to 240° C.
• 2
  Prick the eggplants several times with a skewer and grill them on a piece of aluminum foil just under the grill until soft, about 20 minutes. Turn the eggplants several times during this process. Then let them cool until they can be handled.
• 3
  Scrape the flesh out of the eggplants with a spoon or peel off the skin in strips. Finely chop the flesh and mix with half a teaspoon of salt. Place the chopped flesh in a bowl, mixing it with any remaining eggplant liquid, and set aside.
• 4
  Cut the onions into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a coated pan and add the onions.
• 5
  Sauté the onions over low heat for at least 20 minutes until they are soft and sweet. Add a tablespoon of water occasionally to prevent them from browning too quickly.
• 6
  Score the bottom of the tomatoes crosswise, blanch with boiling water, quench in cold water, and peel off the skin. Then cut into cubes. Cut the bell pepper into small cubes.
• 7
  Once the onions are soft and sweet, add the chopped bell pepper and sauté for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Season with freshly ground black pepper and chili powder.
• 8
  Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Once a large part of the liquid has evaporated, add the chopped eggplant flesh and stir in. Bring to a simmer once and, if necessary, add a little water or continue to reduce until the desired consistency is reached. Pepper generously again.
• 9
  Season with smoked paprika powder and salt, if the Antep Söğürme does not yet taste intensely smoky and fruity.
• 10
  Finally, let it cool slightly and only then stir in the chopped, flat-leaf parsley.