This stuffed eggplant with ground lamb and Middle Eastern spices is deceptively easy. Just brown the meat and let the oven do the rest!
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It may look fancy and complicated, but this stuffed eggplant doesn't take very much effort to prepare. Just brown the meat with the spices, whisk up a sauce, and let the oven do the rest. You don't even need to hollow out the eggplant, simply slice them in half and the lamb sits on top.
The eggplant melts into a luscious, creamy texture during the 90-minute baking time, and takes on all of the aromas of the spices as it braises in the sauce.
This is a perfect recipe for a chilly weekend afternoon. Pop it in the oven and let the house fill with the smell of cinnamon and warm spices as you wait for your reward.
Ingredients
- Italian eggplant: These are the bigger, fatter ones, not the long, skinny ones. Depending upon the size, you will use 2 or 3 eggplants. They will shrink a bit as they cook, so they should be very snug in the pan.
- Ground lamb: Ground lamb is less gamey-tasting than chops or leg of lamb, etc. But it has a wonderful earthy flavor. The texture of ground lamb is also soft, compared to ground beef or ground turkey. That's why it pairs so well with the dreamy texture of the baked eggplant.
- Cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, cumin, sweet paprika: These warm spices will be the flavor base for the ground lamb, and for the braising sauce.
- Pine nuts: Pine nuts can be expensive, but they are worth the investment for this dish. They give you a little break from the lamb and spices and add a creamy note to punctuate the dish.
- Onion: This is our only aromatic.
- Tomato paste: Gets mixed in as the lamb browns to add sweetness.
- Water, lemon juice, sugar: The base of our sauce which also includes the ground spices used to cook the lamb. The lemon juice adds brightness and acidity.
- Olive oil, kosher salt, black peppe
Instructions
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place the eggplant halves in a 9x13 baking dish.
Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of each eggplant. Season them with about a teaspoon of kosher salt and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
Roast for 20 - 40 minutes, until the flesh and edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
While the eggplants are roasting, begin browning the ground lamb.
Heat about 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet.
Mix cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add half the spice mixture to the oil heating in the pan. Whisk together until it forms a paste.
Add onions and stir until coated with the oil and spices. Cook onions over medium heat until softened and translucent, but not browned.
Add the ground lamb, parsley, pine nuts, tomato paste, one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of sugar, and some black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until lamb is fully cooked and no pink remains.
Combine remaining spice mix with water, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Pour mixture into the bottom of the baking dish with the eggplant.
Spoon the ground lamb mixture on top of each eggplant. Cover dish with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and roast for 90 minutes.
At 30 minutes and 60 minutes, remove from the oven and baste each stuffed eggplant with pan sauce, cover with foil and return to the oven. Add a little more water if the sauce starts to dry out.
Serve the stuffed eggplant warm or at room temperature, topped with a bit of fresh parsley.
Tips
- Be sure the eggplants are snug in the baking dish. They will shrink as they cook, so don't be afraid to squish them together.
- If the sauce seems to be drying up during baking, add more water.
Related Recipes
- Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna is another easy, comforting eggplant recipe that tastes great in any season.
But if you're here for the Middle Eastern flavors, try these!
- Skillet Chicken Shawarma with Rice and Tahini Sauce takes a classic and turns it into a one-pan dish.
- Fresh Green Bean Salad with Red Peppers, Capers, and Herbs is a great side dish to serve year-round.
Recipe
Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium eggplants halved lenghtwise
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 7 tablespoon pine nuts
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 teaspoon sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the eggplant halves in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of each eggplant. Season them with about a teaspoon of kosher salt and sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Roast for 20 - 40 minutes, until the flesh and edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- While the eggplants are roasting, you can begin cooking the other elements of the dish. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add half the spice mixture to the oil heating in the pan. Whisk together until it forms a paste.
- Add onions and stir until coated with the oil and spices. Cook onions until softened and translucent, but not browned.
- Add the lamb, parsley, pine nuts, tomato paste, one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of sugar, and some black pepper. Stir to combine and cook until lamb is fully cooked and no pink remains.
- Combine remaining spice mix with water, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Pour mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Spoon lamb mixture on top of each eggplant. Cover dish with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and roast for 90 minutes. At 30 minutes and 60 minutes, remove from the oven and baste eggplants with pan sauce, cover with foil and return to the oven. Add a little more water if the sauce starts to dry out.
- Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature, topped with a bit of fresh parsley.
Notes
- Be sure the eggplants are snug in the baking dish. They will shrink as they cook, so don't be afraid to squish them together.
- If the sauce seems to be drying up during baking, add more water.
- This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. If you like Middle Eastern food, I highly recommend it. It's got a lot of amazing recipes and you'll learn a bit about the city and its people as well.
- You'll need a large, deep, non-stick skillet for this recipe and a 9 x 13 baking dish. You can't go wrong with Pyrex glass baking dishes for things like this.
Paula
One of Our favorite recipes but we use chopped beef - my husband hates lamb!
Debra
Hi Paula!
So glad you like the recipe. Yes, beef is a great substitution!
Thanks for reading,
Debra