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A stuffed eggplant topped with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs
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Stuffed Eggplant Recipe with Lamb & Pomegranate

Stuffed aubergine full of flavour!  Great as an appetiser or as part of a main course
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine MIddle Eastern
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinading time 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 547kcal
Author Slow The Cook Down

Ingredients

  • 5.3 ounces lamb fillet finely diced (150g)
  • 1 eggplant
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1.75 ounces feta cheese finely diced (50g)
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • seeds of ½ pomegranate
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • handful of fine breadcrumbs

For the marinade

  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
  • ½ tbsp cumin seeds (or ready ground)
  • ½ tbsp coriander seeds (or ready ground)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • juice ½ lemon

Instructions

  • In a mortar and pestle, press the dry ingredients for the marinade.  When crushed, add the oil and lemon juice and combine.  Put the diced lamb into a bowl and cover with the marinade.  Cover the bowl with cling film and pop in the fridge for at least two hours.
  • Pre heat the oven to 200º.
  • Cut the aubergine in half, keeping the stalk intact. With a knife cut a border in the flesh, leaving about ½ cm and scoop out with a spoon and keep the removed aubergine. Be careful not to cut down to the skin as you need some flesh to help keep the structure. Brush with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and put on to a baking tray and into the oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked, leave to one side.
  • Take half of the aubergine flesh and finely dice, the rest won't be needed.
  • Once the lamb is ready, heat a large frying pan over a medium high heat, once hot, add in the lamb, with a little of the marinade, for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is browned. Add in the onion and diced aubergine and a squeeze of lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes, still stirring.
  • Once the onions have turned translucent, turn off the heat and stir in the feta and pomegranate seeds until combined.
  • Spoon the lamb mix into the aubergine boats and top with a handful of breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.  Put back in the oven and cook for 25-30mins until the breadcrumbs are golden.
  • Serve with pomegranate seeds and some fresh coriander.

Notes

Give yourself a bit of time to marinate the lamb, at least two hours, and allow it to soak up all of the flavour.  
Lamb fillet is preferable in this dish, but you can also dice a lamb chop if that's all you can get. 
You can use panko or fine breadcrumbs to top the eggplant.
You can use ready ground cumin and coriander seeds.
You can make the lamb mixture ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Serve immediately.
Nutritional values are based on one of two servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 1031mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 4mg