Vegetable Kofta

Ingredients

• 1½ kilograms finely ground meat
• 1 kilogram eggplant
• 1 kilogram potatoes
• 1 kilogram tomatoes
• 1 kilogram onions
• 1 large cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 large cup knife-chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried coriander
• 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
• 1 teaspoon regular mixed spices
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste or tomato concentrate
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried red pepper or red paprika
• 1 tablespoon, as desired ghee or butter
• ¼ large cup pomegranate molasses
• as desired green pepper
• 1 large cup water
• as needed oil for frying
• a little Mazola oil for greasing the hands
• as needed salt for sprinkling over the eggplant before frying

Instructions

1. Peel the eggplant, leaving some of the peel in striped bands for decoration, then cut it on a cutting board into thick rounds, approximately 1 cm thick.
2. Cut the potatoes on a cutting board into thick rounds similar to the eggplant rounds.
3. Cut the tomatoes on a cutting board into thick rounds so they do not melt away in the baking tray.
4. Cut the onions on a cutting board into rounds to prepare the base of the baking tray.
5. Sprinkle salt over both sides of the eggplant slices in a prep bowl before frying.
6. Place the finely ground meat in a mixing bowl, then add the chopped parsley, chopped onion, salt, black pepper, dried coriander, red pepper paste, and regular mixed spices.
7. Mix the meat seasoning ingredients well by hand in the mixing bowl until combined.
8. Lightly grease the hands with Mazola oil, then shape the meat into small, round, similarly sized pieces; the chef stated that each piece weighs approximately 20 to 25 grams.
9. Heat the oil in a frying pan over the heat, then half-fry the eggplant until lightly colored but not fully cooked, then transfer it to a colander.
10. Heat the oil in a frying pan over the heat, then half-fry the potatoes, then transfer them to a colander.
11. Arrange the onion rounds evenly across the bottom of the baking tray.
12. Arrange the tray ingredients alternately from the edge: potato, then a piece of meat, then eggplant, then a piece of meat, then tomato. Repeat the arrangement until the tray is full.
13. Add green pepper to the tray for decoration, as desired.
14. Place the tomato paste or tomato concentrate, crushed garlic, salt, dried red pepper or red paprika, water, and pomegranate molasses in a bowl or small pot to make the sauce.
15. Mix the sauce ingredients well in the bowl or small pot until combined.
16. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of the tray.
17. Distribute the ghee or butter over the top of the tray before baking in the oven.
18. Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
19. Place the tray on the middle rack of an oven preheated for 5 minutes to 150°C.
20. Bake the tray in the oven for about 45 minutes.
21. Brown the top of the tray in the oven at the end of baking for about 10 additional minutes, as stated by the chef.