Stuffed eggplant is often served through Turkey as Imam Bayildi and is a flavoursome family meal packed with healthy fibre and delicious flavours. This is a great recipe that can be used in so many different ways and can be eaten as a main meal or shared as a side dish. The filling can be used to stuff capsicum, zucchini or sweet potatoes and can be served hot or cold.

Serves 4

Prep & Cooking time: 30-40 mins

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 small eggplants

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ red pepper, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon red chillies, chopped

1 large tomato

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

⅓ cup cranberries

½ orange, juiced

1 cup cooked grains (we used quinoa and black barley, but you can also use brown rice, farro, freekeh, barley or any grain of your choice) cook grains according to instructions on the packet.

⅓ cup of chopped flat leaf parsley stalks and leaves

1 small bunch of coriander chopped (stalks and leaves) keep back some of the leaves for garnish to serve

1 cup of water

Chopped mint and coriander to serve.

1. Lightly coat the whole eggplants with a little olive oil and place them on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 180 C°. Bake for 30 minutes until soft.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
3. Add sliced onions and garlic and saute until the garlic and onions are soft.
4. Add the red pepper and continue to stir, add the tomato, chopped chillies, cranberries and spices stirring continuously to combine all of the ingredients..
5. Add squeezed orange juice, sugar and salt and then a cup of water.
6. Turn the heat down to a low simmer. Add the cooked grains and stir through the tomato mixture,  place a lid on the pan for 2-3 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the cooked grains..
7. Just before serving, add the chopped parsley and coriander and stir through the mixture.
8. To serve, slice off the top of the eggplant length-ways and scoop out the eggplant flesh. Mix the eggplant flesh through the rest of the tomato/grain mixture and turn off the heat.
9. Fill each of the eggplant skins with the filling.  Sprinkle reserved mint and coriander over the eggplant and serve with a green salad.

 

Cooks notes; This dish can be made ahead and the eggplants stuffed prior to serving.  To reheat them, preheat the oven to 160C° and heat for 20 minutes.  Once heated, garnish with the chopped mint and coriander just before serving. We also recommend serving the stuffed eggplant with natural greek yoghurt, this can be mixed with chopped mint or with ½ teaspoon of harissa paste.

Nutrient	Per Serve	Per 100g	Criteria (per Serve)
Energy (kJ)	1188.86	274.68	≤ 2200 kJ
Protein (g)	7.31	1.69	-
Total fat (g)	11.59	2.68	-
Saturated fat (g)	1.56	0.36	≤ 7 g
Carbohydrate (g)	31.91	7.37	≤ 60 g
Sugars (g)	22.64	5.23	-
Water (g)	365.47	84.44	-
Dietary fibre (g)	12.32	2.85	≥ 5 g
Sodium (mg)	310.84	71.82	≤ 600 mg