This Ottolenghi stuffed eggplant with ground lamb and Middle Eastern spices is deceptively easy. Simply brown the lamb with the spices, whisk up a sauce, and let the oven do the rest!
This stuffed eggplant doesn't take very much effort to prepare, and it has all of the wonderful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors you expect from an Ottolenghi recipe. You don't even need to hollow out the eggplant and actually stuff them, just slice them in half and the ground lamb sits on top.
The eggplant melts into a luscious, creamy texture and takes on all of the aromas of the cinnamon and warm spices as it braises in the sauce. It's a perfect recipe for a chilly weekend afternoon.
Love Ottolenghi recipes? Me too. Try Ottolenghi Butternut Squash and Ottolenghi Green Bean Salad.
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Ottolenghi stuffed eggplant ingredients
- Italian eggplant: These are the bigger, fatter ones, not the long, skinny ones, the same kind you would use to make Eggplant Lasagna. 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. I love using ground lamb in recipes because the texture is soft compared to ground beef or ground turkey. That's why it pairs so well with the dreamy texture of the baked eggplant. My Greek Stuffed Peppers are also filled with ground lamb and have great Mediterranean flavors!
- 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 pepper
*Ingredients with measurements are in the recipe card below.
How to make Ottolenghi lamb stuffed eggplant
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Step 1: Roast the eggplant
Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice the eggplants in half and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of each eggplant. Season them with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and sprinkle with freshly ground 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°F.
Step 2: Dice and sweat the onions
While the eggplants are roasting, begin preparing the lamb filling. Use a good chef's knife to dice the onions finely and chop the parsley. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet.
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Mix cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add half the spice mixture to the oil heating in the pan and whisk 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.
Step 3: Brown the ground lamb
Add the ground lamb, parsley, pine nuts, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and some black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until lamb is fully cooked and no pink remains.
Step 4: Bake the lamb stuffed eggplant
Combine remaining spice mix with water, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ยฝ teaspoon salt, and the cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Pour into the bottom of the baking dish with the eggplant.
Spoon the ground lamb 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 again with the foil and return to the oven. Add a little more water if the sauce starts to dry out.
Pro tip
Be very careful when removing the foil to baste the eggplant. Steam has built up inside and could burn you. Use tongs or a potholder to carefully lift one corner to let the steam out before you remove it.
Serve lamb stuffed eggplant warm or at room temperature, topped with a bit of fresh parsley.
Expert tips
- Be sure the eggplants are snug in the baking dish: I know this seems like a lot of eggplant, but they will shrink as they cook, so don't be afraid to squish them together.
- Don't let the sauce evaporate: If the sauce seems to be drying up during baking, add more water.
- Don't skip cooking the spices before you add the onions: This is called blooming the spices, and it will allow them to absorb some of the fat from the olive oil to soften them and improve their flavor. They'll also blend more easily and evenly into the lamb as it cooks.
More Middle Eastern recipes
Debra's Details: Ottolenghi lamb stuffed eggplant is easy and satisfying!
- Virtually no prep, just slice onions and eggplant.
- Filled with warm spices and Middle Eastern flavor.
- Lamb and pine nuts make a rich and hearty filling.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free!
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Recipe
Ottolenghi Lamb Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium eggplants
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 medium onion
- 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
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut the eggplants in half and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of each eggplant. Season them with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and sprinkle with freshly ground 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°F.
- While the eggplants are roasting, you can begin cooking the other elements of the dish.
- Finely dice the onion, chop the parsley, and set both aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Mix cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add half this spice mixture to the oil heating in the pan. Whisk together until it forms a paste.
- Add the 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, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the lamb is fully cooked and no pink remains.
- When the eggplant has been removed from the oven, combine remaining spice mix with water, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ยฝ teaspoon salt, and the cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Pour mixture into the bottom of the 9x13 pan with the roasted eggplant.
- 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, carefully peel back the foil, and baste eggplants with pan sauce. Re-cover with foil and return to the oven. (Add a little more water if the sauce is starting to dry out.)
- Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature, topped with a bit of fresh parsley.
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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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated as an estimate. Calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Paula says
One of Our favorite recipes but we use chopped beef - my husband hates lamb!
Debra says
Hi Paula!
So glad you like the recipe. Yes, beef is a great substitution!
Thanks for reading,
Debra