Stuffed Lamb & Pine Nut Eggplant

Makes 4 Servings

Cooking + Prep Time: 1 & 1/2 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 x 1-lb. lengthwise-halved eggplants
• 1 tbsp. oil, olive + extra to brush
• Salt, kosher
• Pepper, ground”
• 1 tbsp. of cinnamon, ground
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. of cumin, ground
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. of paprika, sweet
• 1 finely chopped onion, large
• 1 lb. of lamb, ground
• 3 tbsp. of pine nuts
• 2 tsp. of tomato paste, low sodium
• 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp. of sugar, granulated
• 1 tbsp. of lemon juice, fresh
• 1 tsp. of concentrated tamarind
• 1 x 1 & 1/2” stick of cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Arrange eggplants in large sized casserole dish with the cut sides facing up. Brush them with oil. Season as desired. Bake in top 1/3 of oven for 20 minutes or so, till browned nicely.

In small sized bowl, mix cinnamon, paprika and cumin. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in large sized skillet. Add onion and 1/2 of spice mixture. Cover skillet. Cook on med. heat and stir several times till softened well, seven minutes or so.

Add lamb to skillet. Break up meat as it cooks till there is no pink remaining, usually four minutes or so. Pour all but 1 tbsp. of fat from skillet. Add and stir in tomato paste, pine nuts, 1 tsp. sugar and 1/2 of parsley “Season lamb as desired.”

Spoon filling on eggplants. In bowl with remainder of spice mixture, combine a half cup of filtered water, concentrated tamarind, lemon juice, 2 tsp. sugar and 1 pinch each kosher salt & ground pepper. Pour in casserole dish. Add cinnamon stick. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes and baste two times with juices in pan, till eggplants are quite tender.

Transfer eggplants to platter or plates. Discard stick of cinnamon. Pour juices from pan over eggplants, and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley. Serve.