Baked Aubergines Stuffed with Minced Lamb

• small aubergines (or 8 small ones)↗4
• vegetable oil↗

  for frying

• olive oil↗1 ст. л. tbsp

  plus extra for drizzling

• large onion↗1

  finely chopped

• garlic cloves↗4

  finely chopped

• red or green chili1-2

  to taste, deseeded, finely chopped

• sugar↗1 ч. л. tsp
• currants and pine nuts2 ст. л. tbsp

  currants, pine nuts

• ground cinnamon and garam masala↗1 ст. л. tbsp
• ground turmeric↗1 ч. л. tsp
• lean lamb mince↗225г g
• cilantro↗невеликий пучок

  leaves, finely chopped (keep some for garnish)

• tomatoes↗2

  sliced into rounds

• lemon↗

  sliced into rounds for serving

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (convection 180 °C, gas 6). Prepare the filling: in a heavy skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add the finely chopped onion, garlic and chili, stirring frequently, and sauté until fragrant. Add sugar, currants and pine nuts, cook until the onion turns golden. Stir in the ground spices, remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool.

2. 2

   In a large bowl combine the lamb mince with the cooled mixture, add the finely chopped cilantro, season to taste and mix thoroughly until homogeneous.

3. 3

   Cut the aubergines in half, leaving the stem untouched. In a dry skillet heat a thin layer of vegetable oil and fry the halves until soft with a golden‑brown crust, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer them to a baking dish, make a long slit along the center of each without cutting through the ends to create a pocket. Fill it with the lamb mince, and top with 2–3 tomato slices.

4. 4

   Spritz the aubergines with the remaining olive oil, cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes until the filling is cooked through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes uncovered until the tomatoes caramelize. Before serving, sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro and garnish with lemon slices.

5. 5

   Serve hot, together with cucumber raita or tzatziki.