An easy dish of stuffed eggplant with ground beef

Ingredients for Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant

The main flavoring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a homemade Chermoula spice blend that does double duty as a spice paste for the eggplant as well as flavoring the meat filling.

BLACK ANGUS BEEF

Here's what you need to prepare the meat stuffing - ground beef from Black Angus , as beef is a classic combination with flavors from the Arab world.

3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice mix is ​​used to flavor the filling. In addition to this we have garlic and onion for flavoring and a little tomato puree to bind the stuffing together.

THE EGGPLANT

Choose a large eggplant, don't worry about the exact size - adjust the toppings accordingly. If you end up with larger eggplants, the top layer may be a little thinner, but the dish will still be full of flavor.

The salt helps to remove moisture from the eggplants. More on that below!

TOPPINGS

And finally, the toppings! It really completes the dish, so I advise you to use them. Pine nuts are a great topping, although other nuts will make an adequate substitute (almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts or seeds).

If you're against cilantro/cilantro, swap with parsley!

How to make Moroccan stuffed eggplant with ground beef

As mentioned above, I call it stuffed because describing it as a "topped" eggplant just doesn't seem to capture the essence of this dish. But it's not actually properly filled - which means it doesn't need scooping, which means it is easier for preparation. I'm winning!

SWEAT THE EGGPLANT (RECOMMENDED)

Sweating the eggplant to remove excess water is a recommended but not required step. It seasons the flesh as well as draws out excess water that otherwise collects in the eggplant, which dilutes the flavor when you eat it.

But mostly you can get around this problem by simply cutting slits in the skin to let the water drain out while it's baking. So don't sweat it if you don't have time to sweat! *Sorry, couldn't resist!*

1. Cut up halve the eggplant lengthwise. Keep the cap/stem intact and cut off, this helps hold the eggplant together once it's cooked and soft.

2. Diamonds – Using a small sharp knife, cut 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, cutting as far as is comfortable without piercing the flesh.

3. Said diamonds!

4. Salt – Sprinkle the surface with salt and rub it in. It's fine to work it into the crevices, but even if you just rub the surface, the salt will work its way into the crevices.

5. Sweat it out 30 minutes. I put the eggplant upside down in a colander to drain the water.

6. Squeeze out like a sponge, to remove excess water, then dry the surface.

PREPARATION OF "STUFFED" EGGPLANTS

1. Mix it up the Chermoula spice mix in a bowl. Measure out 3 tsp. and set aside for the meat.

2. Pasta – Add olive oil and lemon juice to the remaining chermoula and mix to form a paste.

3. Smudge the pasta on the surface of the eggplant.

4. Bake 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the aubergine is soft. Sometimes it takes longer - remember to check the edges.

5. Meat with spices - Fast cooking! Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice mix. Finally, add the tomato puree and water to make the stuffing "juicy" (not dry and crumbly).

6. Assembling - Spread the lamb stuffing on top of the baked eggplant. Spread with yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and cilantro, then dip it in!