Split Stuffed Aubergines
Split Stuffed Aubergines
Split Stuffed Aubergines with Lamb
Serves 4
Preparation Time - About 30 minutes
Cooking Time - 25 mins / 40 mins
This is a GUEST RECIPE taken from Rick Stein "From Venice to Instanbul". Rick Stein is a a huge favourite and his programmes are always full of interesting background and mouth watering recipes.
Preparation Time - About 30 minutes
Cooking Time - 25 mins / 40 mins
This is a GUEST RECIPE taken from Rick Stein "From Venice to Instanbul". Rick Stein is a a huge favourite and his programmes are always full of interesting background and mouth watering recipes.
I would caution the heat of your oven and perhaps watch out from about 35 minutes to make sure the stuffed vegetables and meat don't burn.
This is a Turkish recipe which is lightly spicy with pomegranates and very tasty, which we liked very much and will be cooking it often!
Ingredients
4 x medium aubergines
5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
12g/2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used about five)
½ tsp pul biber
¾ tsp chilli flakeså
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
500g minced lamb
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used four medium sized ones)
2 tbsp tomato paste
50g pine nuts (you could increase the quantity
handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
175ml water
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Seeds 1 pomegranate
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO........
- Heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
- Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and arrange in a roasting tin, cut side up.
- Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas 4.
- Start to make the filling while the aubergines are cooking. Fry the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Mix the paprika, pul biber, cumin seeds and ground cinnamon together and add two-thirds of this mixture to the pan, together with the chilli flakes. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Then increase the heat and add the lamb. Cook until browned.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, the pine nuts and half of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- When the aubergines are ready, remove from the oven and carefully slit the flesh lengthways, without cutting all the way through the skin.
- Top each half with an eighth of the lamb mixture.
- In a bowl, mix the water with the remaining spice mix, olive oil (2 tablespoons), tomato paste (1 tablespoon) and the pomegranate molasses.
- Add this liquid to the roasting tin around the aubergines, cover the whole tin with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the aubergines are soft and the juices in the pan are syrupy.
- Serve the aubergines drizzled with the pan juices and scattered with the pomegranate seeds and the rest of the parsley.