Stuffed Eggplant

Prep Time: 25 mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Total time: 1 hr | Yield: Serves 4

Filling, super appetizing, and one of the best eggplant meals I’ve made! This comforting stuffed eggplant is packed with basmati rice, lean ground beef, and tomatoes, then drizzled with a spicy garlic tahini sauce.

Stuffed Eggplant:

1 small onion, finely diced

½ lb lean ground beef (or turkey, chicken, lamb, or sausage)

Olive oil (about 4 tbsp divided use)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

2 eggplants, cut in half length-wise and center scooped out, leaving about a 1-inch border all around

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ c. cooked basmati rice

4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

½ c. chopped cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios (optional)

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh mint leaves, plus a couple of extra leaves for garnish

Salt

Black pepper

Spicy Garlic Tahini Sauce:

6 cloves garlic

½ c. plain, low-fat Greek yogurt

2 tbsp tahini paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or your desired amount)

3 tbsp water

½ tsp salt

How to make Stuffed Eggplant

Step 1: Prepare the oven to 400 degrees. Using parchment paper, line a baking sheet.

Step 2: Into a food processor, add the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Add this to the dish and set aside.

Step 3: Mix the paprika, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon in a small ramekin. Set aside.

Step 4: Onto the prepared baking sheet, place 4 eggplant halves, flesh-side up. Over the side of the cut eggplant, drizzle 3 tbsp oil and sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasoning mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Roast for about 35 minutes or until the eggplant is tender and easily pierced using a paring knife.

Step 6: In the meantime, ready the filling. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion once the oil is hot and cook for a couple of minutes until the onion has softened. Then, add the ground beef and cook for a couple of minutes while crumbling as it cooks.

Step 7: Stir in the rest of the seasoning mix. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook further until the meat is completely cooked.

Step 8: Add the cooked rice to the ground beef mixer along with the chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and mint. If using, add the pistachios. Mix well and keep everything warm.

Step 9: With equal portions of the warm filling, fill each roasted eggplant cavity. Then, put it onto a plate and drizzle with the spicy garlic tahini sauce. If desired, garnish with more mint or parsley. Enjoy!

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Stuffed Eggplant

Filling, super appetizing, and one of the best eggplant meals I've made! This comforting stuffed eggplant is packed with basmati rice, lean ground beef, and tomatoes, then drizzled with a spicy garlic tahini sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• Stuffed Eggplant:
• 1 small onion finely diced
• ½ lb lean ground beef or turkey, chicken, lamb, or sausage
• Olive oil about 4 tbsp divided use
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 eggplants cut in half length-wise and center scooped out, leaving about a 1-inch border all around
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ c. cooked basmati rice
• 4 cloves garlic pressed through a garlic press
• Pinch red pepper flakes optional
• ½ c. chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios optional
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp chopped fresh mint leaves plus a couple of extra leaves for garnish
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Spicy Garlic Tahini Sauce:
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ c. plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or your desired amount
• 3 tbsp water
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Prepare the oven to 400 degrees. Using parchment paper, line a baking sheet.
• Into a food processor, add the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Add this to the dish and set aside.
• Mix the paprika, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon in a small ramekin. Set aside.
• Onto the prepared baking sheet, place 4 eggplant halves, flesh-side up. Over the side of the cut eggplant, drizzle 3 tbsp oil and sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasoning mix. Season with salt and pepper.
• Roast for about 35 minutes or until the eggplant is tender and easily pierced using a paring knife.
• In the meantime, ready the filling. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion once the oil is hot and cook for a couple of minutes until the onion has softened. Then, add the ground beef and cook for a couple of minutes while crumbling as it cooks.
• Stir in the rest of the seasoning mix. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook further until the meat is completely cooked.
• Add the cooked rice to the ground beef mixer along with the chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and mint. If using, add the pistachios. Mix well and keep everything warm.
• With equal portions of the warm filling, fill each roasted eggplant cavity. Then, put it onto a plate and drizzle with the spicy garlic tahini sauce. If desired, garnish with more mint or parsley. Enjoy!