Name: Stuffed Eggplant
Yield: Serves 2–4 people
Ingredients: 1 large onion, finely diced; Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste; 3–4 garlic cloves, finely diced; ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts, plus extra for garnish; 1 lb. (450 g) ground meat or alternative (see note); ½ tsp (2.5 g) crushed chili flakes; 1 tbsp (8 g) ground cumin; ½ tsp (2.5 g) cinnamon; 1 tbsp (5 g) ground coriander; ¼ cup (60 ml) tahini; Cold water; Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste; 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice; 2 tbsp (2.5 g) parsley, finely chopped; 2 cups (475 ml) Roasted Tomato Sauce, or you can use canned crushed tomatoes; 2 large Italian eggplants; Kosher salt; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Preparation info

Serves
2–4
people

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Seed to Table

By Luay Ghafari

Published 2023

About

Is there a flavor combination that’s been etched in your mind since childhood? For me, it’s my mother’s ground meat mixture with toasted pine nuts and bharat, a Levantine seven spice blend that includes coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper. This spice blend can be purchased at all Middle Eastern stores, but you don’t really need it. You can use staple pantry spices as outlined below to achieve a similar flavor profile.