Ingredients
- 500g mutton mince
- 4 medium brinjal, halved lengthways
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 20g fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220˚C.
- Place the aubergine halves, skin-side down, in a roasting tin large enough to accommodate them snugly. Brush the flesh with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- While the aubergines are cooking, you can start making the stuffing. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Mix together the cumin, paprika and ground cinnamon and add half of this spice mix to the pan, along with the onion. Cook on medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, then add the mutton mince, parsley, tomato purée, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Continue to cook and stir for another 8 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
- Place the remaining spice mix in a bowl and add 150ml/¼ pint water, lemon juice, tamarind paste, remaining sugar and cinnamon sticks.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 195˚C.
- Pour the spice mix into the bottom of the aubergine roasting tin.
- Spoon the lamb mixture on top of each aubergine. Cover the tin tightly with kitchen foil, return to the oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, by which point the aubergines should be completely soft and the sauce thick. Twice throughout the cooking time, remove the kitchen foil and baste the aubergines with the sauce, adding some water if the sauce dries out.
- Meanwhile, to make the tahini dressing mix together all the ingredients in a bowl, along with 2 tablespoons of water, a half teaspoon of salt and a crack of black pepper.
- Drizzle the tahini over the warm (not hot or room temperature) aubergine. Sprinkle coriander to finish.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/stuffed_aubergine_lamb_88423
