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Do that irresistible, easy recipe for stuffed eggplant: oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. Low-cal, low-carb, low effort and totally scrumptious!
Moroccan stuffed eggplant
You’ll usually hear me declaring fairly passionately that I believe eggplant is likely one of the most underrated greens round. They’re low-cost. They’re meaty. They usually’re fabulously versatile, utilized in cuisines worldwide like Asian, Italian, Greek and Indian, ready by numerous cooking strategies together with frying, steaming, roasting and simmering.
In the present day, we’re smearing, roasting and stuffing. Effectively, topping, not scooping-and-stuffing, in a fashion that provides it a semi-stuffed vibe. Consider this as a mid-week tackle conventional stuffed eggplant dishes you discover in Arabic delicacies that includes hollowing out eggplants, stuffing with rice, meat, herbs and nuts, usually baked in a tomato sauce. Sounds magnificent, doesn’t it? And it’s. however there’s much more pots and pans concerned! We’re going easy at present. You can also make this tonight, after work!!
Good shut up of mentioned delicate juicy eggplant!
Components in Moroccan stuffed eggplant
The bottom flavouring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a home made Chermoula spice combine which does double responsibility because the spice paste for the eggplant in addition to flavouring the meat filling.
Chermoula spice combine
Chermoula is a North African spice combine that historically is a marinade or sauce containing recent coriander, garlic and spices. Generally you too can discover it in a dry spice combine type. We’re utilizing the dry mix at present for our functions.
The spices – Nearly all of the spices are pantry staples, however don’t make a particular journey out when you’re lacking one or two…and even three! There’s sufficient within the mix that you may substitute with one thing else – ideas are within the recipe notes.
Olive oil and lemon juice – These are used to make the paste. I like to make use of lemon juice so as to add a little bit of tang in addition to chopping down on the oil required to make a smear-able paste.
The meat filling (lamb or beef)
Right here’s what you must make the meat filling. You should use lamb or beef, although if I had my decide I’d select lamb because it’s a basic pairing with flavours from the Arab world.
3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice mix is used to flavour the filling. Along with this, we have now garlic and onion for aromatics, and a little bit tomato paste to bind the filling collectively.
The eggplant
Select eggplants round 250g/8oz and 17cm/7″ lengthy. Don’t fear about actual measurement – modify toppings accordingly. If you find yourself with bigger eggplants, the topping layer is likely to be barely thinner, however the dish will nonetheless be filled with taste.
Salt helps take away moisture from eggplants. Extra on this beneath!
Toppings
And lastly, the toppings! It actually finishes this dish so I urge you to make use of them. The pine nuts are an amazing final touch, although different nuts will make an sufficient substitute (almonds, macadamia, walnuts, or seeds).
Should you’re anti-coriander/cilantro, change with parsley!
The right way to make Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant
As talked about above, I name it stuffed as a result of describing it as a “topped” eggplant simply doesn’t appear to seize the essence of this dish. 😂 However really, it’s not correctly stuffed – which suggests no scooping crucial, which suggests it’s simpler to make. Win!
Sweating the eggplant (really useful)
Sweating the eggplant to take away extra water is a really useful however not important step. It seasons the flesh in addition to drawing out extra water that in any other case swimming pools within the eggplant which dilutes flavour whenever you’re consuming it.
However you may largely get round this downside by merely chopping slits within the pores and skin to let the water escape because it roasts. So don’t sweat it when you don’t have time to sweat it! *Sorry, I couldn’t resist!*
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Reduce the eggplant in half lengthwise. Hold the cap/stem in tact and lower by it, it helps maintain the eggplant collectively as soon as roasted and delicate.
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Diamonds – Utilizing a small sharp knife, lower 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, chopping down so far as you’re snug with out piercing the flesh.
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The mentioned diamonds!
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Salt – Sprinkle the floor with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into the slits however even when you simply rub the floor, the salt will make it’s approach into the slits.
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Sweat for half-hour. I put the eggplant the other way up in a colander to permit the water to drip out.
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Squeeze like sponge to take away the surplus water then pat the floor dry.
Making the “stuffed” eggplant
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Combine the Chermoula spice mix in a bowl. Measure out 3 teaspoons and put aside for the meat.
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Paste – Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining chermoula and blend to type a paste.
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Smear the paste onto the floor of the eggplant.
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Roast for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or till the eggplant is softened. Generally it takes longer – don’t overlook to verify the perimeters.
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Spiced meat – A fast cook dinner! Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook dinner the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice mix. Lastly, add the tomato paste and water to make the filling “juicy” (slightly than dry and crumbly).
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Assemble – Prime the roasted eggplant with the lamb filling. Dollop on yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and coriander then dig in!
Issues of serving
Servings
This recipe is designed to serve:
Low carb, low calorie!
For the eggplant alone, it’s a mere 450 energy for an entire eggplant (ie 2 halves) with solely 22 grams of carbs. To be trustworthy, a serving of the eggplant alone makes for a satisfying meal – you’ve gotten protein and greens lined! Although I do like so as to add one thing recent on the facet, even when it’s just a few plain recent cucumber and tomato.
So, it’s low calorie, low carb, easy to make and a one thing totally different to make with beef mince slightly than the same old Spag Bol. What do you assume?? Really feel like giving giving this a go? I HOPE SO! – Nagi x
Watch easy methods to make it
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Straightforward Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)
Prep: 15 minutes
Prepare dinner: 40 minutes
Complete: 55 minutes
Dinner
Center Japanese
Servings2 – 4
Faucet or hover to scale
Components
Chermoula spice combine (Word 2)
Spiced beef or Lamb topping
Directions
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Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
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Sweat eggplants (really useful, see Word 5 to skip) – Reduce eggplants in half then rating with 2.5cm / 1″ diamonds. Rub floor with salt, getting some into the slits. Place face down in a colander and put aside for half-hour. Gently squeeze like a sponge to take away extra water, pat floor dry.
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Combine Chermoula spice combine elements in a bowl. Take away 3 teaspoons for the meat and put aside. Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining spice combine and blend right into a paste.
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Roast eggplant – Slather spice combine onto the eggplants. Roast for 45 minutes till softened.
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Spiced topping – Warmth oil in a non stick skillet over medium excessive warmth. Prepare dinner onion and garlic for 1 minute. Flip warmth as much as excessive, add lamb and cook dinner, breaking it up as you go, till you not see purple. Add reserved spices and salt, then cook dinner for an extra 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook dinner for 1 minute. Stir in water, cook dinner for 1 minute till it is juicy however not watery.
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Assemble – Prime eggplant with beef combination. Sprinkle over coriander, dollop with yogurt and pine nuts. End with an additional drizzle of additional virgin olive oil, if desired!
Recipe Notes:
2. Spice subs – With so many on this spice combine, it’s high-quality when you’re lacking one…and even three! Simply dial up a few of the others to make up for flavour. Particular subs:
- All spice – blended spice
- Garlic powder – onion powder, or recent garlic
- Ginger – extra garlic
- Turmeric powder – saffron
- Cinnamon – extra all spice
3. Tomato paste – or sub water + paste with 1/4 cup crushed tomato or passata. I provide this as a suggestion as I at all times appear to have a partial bottle of passata within the fridge!
4. Toasting pinenuts – Small skillet, no oil, medium warmth, toss till golden and smells toasty. Take away from pan right away.
5. Eggplant sweating – Attracts out extra water so that you don’t find yourself with water within the eggplant halves that dilutes consuming flavour. Eradicating bitterness from eggplant – usually talking, this has been bred out of eggplants offered nowadays. I’ve by no means had an issue.
Don’t have time to sweat? Simply lower 2 x 3cm/1″ slits within the pores and skin so the water escapes whereas roasting. Additionally, count on so as to add 5 to 10 min to roasting time.
This recipe requires floor chilli powder, not Chilli Powder as offered in America which is a mixture of different spices. In Australia, Chilli Powder offered in supermarkets is apparent floor dried chilli which is what’s required for this recipe. Cayenne pepper is an ideal substitute.
6. Yogurt tip – To make the yoghurt even tastier, combine 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1/2 garlic clove, minced, a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Put aside for half-hour to let the flavours develop. I do that for firm. 🙂
Leftovers will maintain for 3 days within the fridge.
Diet per serving, utilizing lean beef – 2 eggplant halves (i.e. one entire eggplant) per serving. This can be a satisfying meal even by itself!
Diet Info:
Serving: 536gEnergy: 450cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 22g (7%)Protein: 32g (64%)Fats: 28g (43%)Saturated Fats: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 15gTrans Fats: 0.4gLdl cholesterol: 78mg (26%)Sodium: 1594mg (69%)Potassium: 1206mg (34%)Fiber: 9g (38%)Sugar: 11g (12%)Vitamin A: 297IU (6%)Vitamin C: 13mg (16%)Calcium: 61mg (6%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Initially printed in March 2016. Majority spruced up in 2023 with a greater, extra streamlined recipe with higher flavour, glowing new photographs and a model new recipe video!
Proof of eggplant fondness
Lifetime of Dozer
Can’t even whiteboard recipe concepts with out Mr D hovering round.
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