Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb

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This vibrant, powerfully flavored dish is inspired by the classic flavors of the Middle East. A delicious Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb dish that is absolutely loaded with flavor. We guarantee you that even the fussiest of eaters will enjoy this one! Not only is this dish super-tasty, but it is so fun to plate. You scoop out all the flesh of the Eggplant and then use the hollow skin as a serving vessel (which is edible of course!). So, once you’ve finished enjoying the delicious Lamb and Eggplant stuffing, you can go ahead and eat the serving container too!

This wonderful dish is loaded with beautiful flavors from the Middle East

The big, brilliant flavors in this dish is all owed to the wonderful mixture of classical Middle Eastern slices. The combination of Cumin, Coriander Powder, Pepper, and Sumac give a wonderful flavor to the dish. To prepare the spice mix, simply combine these spices along with some Salt in a small bowl. Once they are well mixed then can be generously sprinkled all over the Eggplant before it is roasted

Roasting the Eggplant with this delicious spice mix will ensure that all those amazing flavors get absorbed into the Eggplant. We also use the same tasty spice mix when cooking the Lamb, which is done separately. On that note, let’s give a quick overview of how to make this wonderful plate of food

How to make Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb

There are two main cooking components of this dish, which are done separately. Those are the roasting of the Eggplant and pan frying up the Ground Lamb. Both steps are super-simple, and you can even do them concurrently to save cooking time in the kitchen

To prepare the Eggplant, score it diagonally to form beautiful diamond shapes on the flesh. Be careful not to cut too deep so as not to pierce the skin. Once scored, season the Eggplant generously with the spice mix and finish it off with a decent drizzle of Olive Oil

Place the Eggplants on a roasting pan and roast them in the oven at 400F for about 25 – 30 minutes. You want those Eggplant to be cooked through so you can easily scoop out that delicious flesh, which you do once the Eggplant has cooled a little

Cooking the Lamb and bringing the dish together

Heat up a large frying pan or pot over medium heat with some Vegetable Oil. Once hot, add some Onion and cook it up, then add the Lamb, Garlic, and the remaining spice mixture. Give that a good cooking through then add Tomato Paste and Tomato Puree

Drop the heat a little and allow the whole sauce to come together. I’d give it about 20 minutes so that the sauce thickens and becomes a beautiful, rich gravy. Throw the Eggplant pieces straight into the pot and mix it all together. This will now form the ‘filling’ for your Eggplant

Lay those delicious Eggplant skins (which are now hollow) back out on a large roasting pan and then fill them with the delicious Eggplant and Lamb filling. Top it off with some slices of Mozzarella and then broil it until the Cheese Melts

To finish off the dish, sprinkle over some freshly chopped Mint (or your favorite herbs, but Mint always goes so well with Lamb)! Give it a sprinkle of Finishing Salt and then it’s time to eat!

This Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb goes perfectly with a Fresh Salad and Yoghurt Sauce

A classic side dish to enjoy with a rich Lamb Dish is a simple Yoghurt Sauce. It is a super-simple sauce to make, and only requires a small amount of ingredients. Simply combine Yoghurt (we recommend Greek Yoghurt, but you can use whatever you like) with some Lemon Juice, finely diced Garlic, and Salt. Mix all that up in a bowl and you’re good to go!

The tartness of the Yoghurt offers a great contrast to the rich, fattiness of the Stuffed Eggplant. It gives the whole plate a lovely balance, making the dish just as enjoyable from the first bite all the way through to the last. To make this simply Yoghurt Sauce you can check out the full recipe here, where we talk a bit more about the sauce, and the quantities for each ingredient required to make it perfect

When we enjoyed this Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb dish we also served it with a simple Tomato and Cucumber Salad. You don’t need to serve this dish with a Salad, but I found it felt like a complete meal with a few veggies on the plate

It’s a simple salad of sliced Tomatoes, Cucumber, and a little bit of Red Onion. Whip up a simple dressing of Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and Salt to flavor the Salad ingredients and you’re all done. You can make the Salad while the Eggplant is roasting away in the oven

Spicy Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 large Eggplants, halved lengthwise
• 1 lb. Ground Lamb
• 1 Brown Onion, diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 2 ½ tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 ½ tsp. Ground Coriander
• 2 ½ tsp. Sumac
• ½ tsp. Pepper
• 14 oz. can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 150g / 5 oz. Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cup of Fresh Mint, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Combine half the Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Sumac, Pepper, and 1 tsp. of Salt in a small bowl (reserve the remaining spices for the Lamb)
2. Score the Eggplant flesh with a sharp knife, making diagonal, diamond shape cuts (avoid cutting through the skin). Generously rub the spice mixture over the flesh then drizzle with 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil
3. Place the Eggplants flesh-side-up on a large sheet pan. Roast in the oven at 400F for 25 – 30 minutes until the flesh is tender and cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool
4. Once cooled, scoop out the Eggplant Flesh and set aside (retain the skin shells for serving)
5. Heat the remaining Oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the Onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Lamb along with the remaining Cumin, Coriander Powder, Sumac, Garlic, and a decent pinch of Salt. Once the Lamb has browned add the Tomato Paste and Crushed Tomatoes
6. Simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add the cooked Eggplant, mix well then remove from heat
7. Place the empty Eggplant skins on a large baking pan and fill with the Lamb and Eggplant mixture. Top with slices of Mozzarella and broil for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted
8. Sprinkle over the Mint and some Finish Salt and serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Serve with this delicious Yoghurt Sauce which is super-simple to make
• You can prepare the filling in advance and simply re-heat before stuffing the Eggplants and finishing the dish under the broiler
  
  

The vast array of amazing Middle Eastern recipes is such a delight to explore. We’ve already got a handful of them on our website so if you enjoyed this Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb recipe then we know you’ll enjoy these dishes too:

• Za’atar Flatbread
• Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Harissa
• Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops with Tabbouleh Salad
• Braised Lamb Shanks with Grits
  
  

Happy Cooking!