Spiced eggplant with lamb and pine nut stuffing
- Serves 4
- Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 60 mins
This is a delicious dish of slow-roasted eggplants smothered in a Moroccan paste and topped with a seriously savoury lamb finished with Greek yoghurt and coriander. It’s a spectacular Middle Eastern meal that will have your taste buds dancing with delight
Ingredients
Eggplants:
2 large eggplants, halved lengthways
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Moroccan seasoning
Salt and pepper
Lamb:
500g lamb mince
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large tomato, finely diced
50g pine nuts
3 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C bake. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Eggplants: Score the flesh of each half with deep, diagonal crisscross cuts, making sure not to pierce the skin.
In a bowl, mix the garlic, oil, and Moroccan seasoning with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread this mixture evenly over each scored eggplant half.
Place the eggplant halves on the lined tray, paste side up.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the eggplants are completely soft.
Lamb: While the eggplants cook, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on a low-medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften.
Increase the heat to medium, add the cumin, paprika and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lamb mince, pine nuts and diced tomato.
Break the mince up and stir for 8-10 minutes or until the lamb is cooked.
Keep warm until the eggplants are ready to go.