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Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant with Ground Beef or Lamb Recipe

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4.8 from 107 reviews

This Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant recipe offers a delicious and unique way to serve eggplant filled with spiced ground beef or lamb. Enhanced with a fragrant Chermoula spice mix and topped with yogurt, coriander, and toasted pine nuts, it’s a perfect midweek meal inspired by traditional Arabic flavors. The process involves sweating the eggplant to reduce bitterness and roasting it with the spice paste before topping with a juicy and flavorful meat mixture, resulting in a hearty, aromatic dish that can serve as a main or a starter.

Ingredients

Eggplant

  • 2 x 250g (8oz) eggplants (aubergines), approximately 17cm (7″) long
  • 3/4 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more olive oil)

Chermoula Spice Mix

  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 tsp all spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Spiced Beef or Lamb Topping

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 250g (8oz) beef or lamb mince, lean if possible (chicken, turkey, or pork also acceptable)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking or kosher salt
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup water

To Serve

  • Plain yogurt
  • 2 tbsp coriander or cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (or parsley as substitute)
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F), or 160°C (320°F) if using a fan-forced oven, to prepare for roasting the eggplants.
  2. Sweat Eggplants: Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and score the flesh in 2.5cm (1″) diamond patterns. Generously rub salt into the scored surfaces and some into the slits, then place them face down in a colander. Let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Afterward, gently squeeze the eggplants like a sponge to remove any remaining water and pat them dry. (If short on time, you can skip this by cutting slits in the skin to allow water to escape during roasting, but expect longer cooking time.)
  3. Mix Chermoula Spice Paste: Combine all the Chermoula spice mix ingredients in a bowl. Remove 3 teaspoons of this mixture and set aside for use in the meat topping. Add olive oil and lemon juice to the remaining spice mix and stir well to form a fragrant paste.
  4. Roast Eggplants: Place the eggplant halves cut-side up on a baking tray. Spread the Chermoula spice paste evenly over the surface of each eggplant half. Roast in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until the flesh is softened and cooked through.
  5. Prepare Spiced Meat Topping: Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for about 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef or lamb, and cook while breaking it apart with a spatula until no pink remains. Stir in the reserved 3 teaspoons of Chermoula spices and the salt, cooking for an additional minute to release their flavors. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the water and cook for a final minute, allowing the mixture to become juicy but not watery.
  6. Assemble the Dish: Remove the roasted eggplants from the oven and top each half generously with the spiced meat mixture. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over the meat, add dollops of plain yogurt, and finish by scattering toasted pine nuts on top. Optionally, drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil for extra richness and flavor.

Notes

  • Eggplant size varies widely; use weight and length as guides. Larger eggplants yield thinner topping layers, while smaller ones can hold more meat or leftover filling can be saved for another meal.
  • Missing some spice mix ingredients? Compensate by increasing others. For example, substitute all spice with mixed spice, garlic powder with onion powder or fresh garlic, ginger with more garlic, turmeric powder with saffron, and cinnamon with extra all spice.
  • Tomato paste can be replaced with 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes or passata if desired.
  • Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat without oil, stirring until golden and fragrant. Remove immediately to avoid burning.
  • Eggplant sweating removes bitterness and excess moisture. If skipping, score eggplant skin to allow steam release and consider adding 5-10 minutes to roasting time.
  • Enhance your yogurt by mixing it with minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then letting it rest for 30 minutes to develop more flavor.
  • Make ahead by roasting eggplants and cooking meat filling in advance. Cool both uncovered, refrigerate, and reheat before assembling.
  • Leftovers keep up to 3 days in the fridge. Meat filling freezes well up to 3 months but cooked eggplant may not freeze successfully.

Find it online: https://myweeklyrecipes.com/easy-moroccan-stuffed-eggplant-with-ground-beef-or-lamb-recipe/