Stuffed Aubergine with Feta
This week, my fruit and vegetable box included aubergine again. What should I make that I haven’t already tried recently with aubergine? Aubergines are in-season from July to October. These purple-skinned vegetables looked nice and plump which is perfect for making stuffed aubergine.
There are many wonderful variations for making stuffed aubergine. From Italian-style with a dusting Parmesan cheese to Japanese umami-flavoured miso stuffed aubergine. The possibilities are endless here with this oblong-shaped vegetable.
A Middle Eastern Inspired Stuffed Aubergine
Feeling adventurous with different flavours, I decided on a Middle Eastern-inspired stuffed aubergine with beef and feta. This dish is traditionally made with minced lamb for a truly authentic Middle Eastern flavours, namely consisting of cumin, nutmeg, and cinnamon. As I didn’t have any minced lamb on hand, I substituted with some lean beef as an alternative. The result came out perfectly delicious!
The spongy flesh of a plump aubergine is a great vessel for stuffing. I didn’t “degorge” the aubergine for this recipe, aka “salt, sit, and drain” the aubergine for 15-20 minutes before cooking. This removes the bitter brown liquid and also absorbs less oil when frying. For this dish, I wanted the aubergine to soak up flavours for this beautifully seasoned Middle Eastern recipe.
For this recipe, I added some toasted pine nuts (or pinoli in Italian) for texture and a sprinkle of pomegranate seed and chopped parsley for a pop of colours. Serve this dish over a bed of chickpeas with garlic mint yoghurt sauce for an extra filling meal. I like to call this recipe “traditional stuffed aubergine dish with a modern twist” that even Yotam Ottolenghi would approve of.
Serve this main course with a fattoush salad. This classic Middle Eastern salad consisting of lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes topped with crunchy pita and sprinkled with sumac, mint, and parsley and a lemon vinaigrette dressing.
Bon Appetit!
Stuffed Aubergine with Feta
Ingredients
Stuffed aubergines:
- 3 large aubergines halved lengthways
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 500 g minced beef
- 1.5 cup passata
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 200 g Greek feta
- Salt and black pepper
Chickpeas with mint-garlic yogurt:
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 cups Greek yoghurt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Handful of chopped mint
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- Drizzle of olive oil
Garnish:
- pomegranate seeds
- chopped parsley
- 50 g toasted pinenuts
Instructions
Prepare the aubergines
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a shallow oven tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1cm border. Roughly chop the aubergine flesh and set aside. Place aubergine skins on the tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the oven. Bake in the oven until soft, about 30 minutes.
Make the Beef Filling
- Heat a dash of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the aubergine flesh. Sautee until soft and golden. Add the onion and saute for a further 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minute. Add in all the spices and cook until aromatic. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Increase the heat, add some more olive oil if needed and brown the beef mince. Stir with a wooden spoon to break the beef mince up. Lower the heat and stir in the tomato pasta sauce and paste and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. Return the aubergine spice mixture to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Baking the Aubergine
- Remove aubergines from the oven and spoon beef mixture into the skins. Top with the feta cheese and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Bake until hot and golden.
Chickpea with mint-garlic yoghurt sauce:
- For chickpeas with mint-garlic yoghurt sauce, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- To serve, layer the mint-garlic yoghurt sauce over a large platter. Gently transfer and place the aubergine on top of the yoghurt. Garnish with chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pinenuts. Serve with a classic Middle Eastern fattoush salad.
