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Ground lamb and spice mixture
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5 from 1 vote

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts

A family recipe for Turkish spiced, stuffed eggplant with ground lamb.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Turkish
Keyword: Turkish stuffed eggplant recipe
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 474kcal
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 Baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 fresh eggplants halved lengthwise brushed with olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
  • ½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1-2 onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 4 Tablespoon pine nuts
  • 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp honey
  • Salt
  • Ground pepper
  • 2 Roma tomatoes cut crosswise
  • 1 green pepper seeded and cut lengthwise
  • Parsley sprigs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out 1/3 of the eggplant center. Sprinkle salt over the flesh sides of the eggplants and set aside for 15 minutes.
  • Dry eggplants thoroughly and arrange in a large baking dish, cut sides up. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 20 minutes until browned. During this time prepare the filling.
  • You can also use fried eggplant. If you do, allow it to drain on a paper towel for a few minutes before stuffing.
  • Mix the cumin, red pepper flakes and paprika.
  • In a large skillet add 1 Tbs of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic with the spice mix until onions are transparent over medium heat.
  • Add the ground lamb and brown for about 4-6 minutes. Pour off any extra fat.
  • Stir in the pine nuts, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Spoon the filling into the eggplants.
  • Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 40 minutes until tender and browned. (Optional: Add slices of tomato, green pepper and bake an additional 10 minutes).
  • Serve hot with rice garnished with chopped parsley and pine nuts.

Notes

  • Ground goat meat can be substituted for ground lamb.
  • While some recipes may call for a ground beef mixture, ground lamb or goat is more traditional and gives a much richer flavor. 
  • Some recipes call for chopped green pepper. If you want to add some, add it with the onion. 

Nutrition

Serving: 6oz | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg