Middle Eastern Stuffed Aubergine

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  • Prep time:20 minutes
  • Cooking time:60 minutes
  • Recipe serves:4

This is a little Middle Eastern labour of love, but oh SO worth it!! You can make ahead of time however :) and once you have this beautiful purple stuffed aubergine bundle in the oven, you can relax with a glass of  red wine and enjoy the house smelling A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. - its steeped with spice and rich exotic flavour! A glorious zippy tzatziki and rustic side salad is all you need to complete this dish - nourishing, healthy and simply delish! We are all about MINDFUL EATING, listening to our bodies and rejoicing in high quality whole foods :) xoxo

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
  • Coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (any veg u like actually, spray free or organic)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons sumac
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 500g  organic lamb mince (or beef)
  • 80g pine nuts (keep a few toasted seeds back for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup organic tomato passata 
  • 20g fresh parsley, chopped
  • 10g fresh mint or oregano
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • To serve: coconut yoghurt tzatziki or probiotic cows milk yoghurt, pomegranate seeds and extra chopped parsley and fresh mint to serve

Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice

 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C  and place the eggplant halves cut side up in a roasting pan big enough to fit them in snugly. Brush the flesh with a little olive oil or coconut oil and season with pink salt and plenty of cracked pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes
  2. While eggplants are cooking, start making the stuffing. Combine the cumin, paprika, sumac and cinnamon in a small bowl. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, carrot, garlic and half of the spice mix for about 5 minutes, stirring often until golden. Add the lamb mince, pine nuts, parsley, passata, the rest of the spice mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook and stir for another 8-10 minutes or until the meat is cooked.
  3. To make the sauce, place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Remove the eggplants from the oven and pour the sauce mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan. Spoon the lamb mixture on top of the eggplant halves evenly. Cover the pan with foil and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until the eggplants are soft. Baste with the sauce if necessary.
  4. Serve warm, topped with tzatziki or yoghurt, fresh parsley or mint (any herbs you fancy), pomegranate for vibrancy and crunch, extra pinenuts and cracked black pepper...enjoy!