Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb) Recipe
Do this irresistible, easy recipe for stuffed eggplant: oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. Low-cal, low-carb, low effort and completely scrumptious!
You’ll usually hear me declaring fairly passionately that I feel eggplant is without doubt one of the most underrated greens round. They’re low-cost. They’re meaty. And so they’re fabulously versatile, utilized in cuisines worldwide like Asian, Italian, Greek and Indian, ready by numerous cooking strategies together with frying, steaming, roasting and simmering.
In the present day, we’re smearing, roasting and stuffing. Effectively, topping, not scooping-and-stuffing, in a way that provides it a semi-stuffed vibe. Consider this as a mid-week tackle conventional stuffed eggplant dishes you discover in Arabic delicacies that entails hollowing out eggplants, stuffing with rice, meat, herbs and nuts, usually baked in a tomato sauce. Sounds magnificent, doesn’t it? And it’s. however there’s much more pots and pans concerned! We’re going easy at the moment. You can also make this tonight, after work!!
Good shut up of stated delicate juicy eggplant!
The bottom flavouring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a do-it-yourself Chermoula spice combine which does double obligation because the spice paste for the eggplant in addition to flavouring the meat filling.
Chermoula spice combine
Chermoula is a North African spice combine that historically is a marinade or sauce containing recent coriander, garlic and spices. Typically it’s also possible to discover it in a dry spice combine type. We’re utilizing the dry mix at the moment for our functions.
The spices – The vast majority of the spices are pantry staples, however don’t make a particular journey out for those who’re lacking one or two…and even three! There’s sufficient within the mix which you could substitute with one thing else – strategies are within the recipe notes.
Olive oil and lemon juice – These are used to make the paste. I like to make use of lemon juice so as to add a little bit of tang in addition to chopping down on the oil required to make a smear-able paste.
The meat filling (lamb or beef)
Right here’s what it’s essential to make the meat filling. You should use lamb or beef, although if I had my decide I’d select lamb because it’s a basic pairing with flavours from the Arab world.
3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice mix is used to flavour the filling. Along with this, we’ve got garlic and onion for aromatics, and a bit tomato paste to bind the filling collectively.
The eggplant
Select eggplants round 250g/8oz and 17cm/7″ lengthy. Don’t fear about actual measurement – modify toppings accordingly. If you find yourself with bigger eggplants, the topping layer may be barely thinner, however the dish will nonetheless be full of taste.
Salt helps take away moisture from eggplants. Extra on this beneath!
Toppings
And lastly, the toppings! It actually finishes this dish so I urge you to make use of them. The pine nuts are an excellent crowning glory, although different nuts will make an sufficient substitute (almonds, macadamia, walnuts, or seeds).
In case you’re anti-coriander/cilantro, swap with parsley!
As talked about above, I name it stuffed as a result of describing it as a “topped” eggplant simply doesn’t appear to seize the essence of this dish. 😂 However truly, it’s not correctly stuffed – which implies no scooping needed, which implies it’s simpler to make. Win!
Sweating the eggplant (really useful)
Sweating the eggplant to take away extra water is a really useful however not important step. It seasons the flesh in addition to drawing out extra water that in any other case swimming pools within the eggplant which dilutes flavour whenever you’re consuming it.
However you’ll be able to principally get round this downside by merely chopping slits within the pores and skin to let the water escape because it roasts. So don’t sweat it for those who don’t have time to sweat it! *Sorry, I couldn’t resist!*
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Lower the eggplant in half lengthwise. Hold the cap/stem intact and lower by it, it helps maintain the eggplant collectively as soon as roasted and delicate.
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Diamonds – Utilizing a small sharp knife, lower 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, chopping down so far as you might be snug with out piercing the flesh.
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The stated diamonds!
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Salt – Sprinkle the floor with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into the slits however even for those who simply rub the floor, the salt will make it’s method into the slits.
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Sweat for half-hour. I put the eggplant the other way up in a colander to permit the water to drip out.
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Squeeze like sponge to take away the surplus water then pat the floor dry.
Making the “stuffed” eggplant
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Combine the Chermoula spice mix in a bowl. Measure out 3 teaspoons and put aside for the meat.
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Paste – Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining chermoula and blend to type a paste.
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Smear the paste onto the floor of the eggplant.
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Roast for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or till the eggplant is softened. Typically it takes longer – don’t neglect to test the perimeters.
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Spiced meat – A fast prepare dinner! Sauté the garlic and onion, then prepare dinner the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice mix. Lastly, add the tomato paste and water to make the filling “juicy” (slightly than dry and crumbly).
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Assemble – High the roasted eggplant with the lamb filling. Dollop on yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and coriander then dig in!
Servings
This recipe is designed to serve:
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2 folks as a beneficiant dinner with a small facet salad;
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4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a considerable facet (like Honey Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad); or
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4 folks as a beneficiant starter.
Low carb, low calorie!
For the eggplant alone, it’s a mere 450 energy for a complete eggplant (ie 2 halves) with solely 22 grams of carbs. To be sincere, a serving of the eggplant alone makes for a satisfying meal – you may have protein and greens coated! Although I do like so as to add one thing recent on the facet, even when it’s just a few plain recent cucumber and tomato.
So, it’s low calorie, low carb, easy to make and a one thing completely different to make with beef mince slightly than the standard Spag Bol. What do you suppose?? Really feel like giving this a go? I HOPE SO! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 2 x 250g/8oz eggplants (aubergines), ~17cm/7" long (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more oil)
- 1 1/2 tsp EACH coriander, paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp all spice powder
- 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ginger, turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 250g / 8oz beef or lamb mince , lean if you can (chicken, turkey, pork also ok)
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 2 tsp tomato paste (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup water
- Yoghurt , plain
- 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (sub parsley)
- 2 tbsp pinenuts , toasted (Note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Sweat eggplants (recommended, see Note 5 to skip) – Cut eggplants in half then score with 2.5cm / 1" diamonds. Rub surface with salt, getting some into the slits. Place face down in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze like a sponge to remove excess water, pat surface dry.
- Mix Chermoula spice mix ingredients in a bowl. Remove 3 teaspoons for the meat and set aside. Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining spice mix and mix into a paste.
- Roast eggplant – Place eggplant on baking tray. Slather spice mix onto the surface. Roast for 45 minutes until softened.
- Spiced topping – Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 1 minute. Turn heat up to high, add lamb/beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red. Add reserved spices and salt, then cook for a further 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water, cook for 1 minute until it's juicy but not watery.
- Assemble – Top eggplant with beef/lamb. Sprinkle over coriander, dollop with yogurt and pine nuts. Finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired!
Notes
1. Eggplant/aubergine – Don’t get too hung up on eggplant size. I always provide weight and measurement because they vary so much in size – what is a “medium eggplant”??! If you have giant ones, you’ll just have a thinner layer of topping (there’s enough flavour in this dish you won’t feel robbed). If you have tiny ones, pile it on higher or reserve leftover meat for another purpose.
2. Spice subs – With so many in this spice mix, it’s fine if you’re missing one…or even three! Just dial up some of the others to make up for flavour. Specific subs:
All spice – mixed spice
Garlic powder – onion powder, or fresh garlic
Ginger – more garlic
Turmeric powder – saffron
Cinnamon – more all spice
3. Tomato paste – or sub water + paste with 1/4 cup crushed tomato or passata. I offer this as a suggestion as I always seem to have a partial bottle of passata in the fridge!
4. Toasting pinenuts – Small skillet, no oil, medium heat, toss until golden and smells toasty. Remove from pan straight away.
5. Eggplant sweating – Draws out excess water so you don’t end up with water in the eggplant halves that dilutes eating flavour. Removing bitterness from eggplant – generally speaking, this has been bred out of eggplants sold these days. I’ve never had a problem.
Don’t have time to sweat? Just cut 2 x 3cm/1″ slits in the skin so the water escapes while roasting. Also, expect to add 5 to 10 min to roasting time.
6. Yogurt tip – To make the yoghurt even tastier, mix 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1/2 garlic clove, minced, a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop. I do this for company. 🙂
Make ahead – Roast the eggplant and meat filling. Fully cool both, uncovered, then put into containers in the fridge. Re-warm both using method of choice (juice up the meat with a splash of water if needed) then assemble!
Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not convinced cooked eggplant will freeze well but the meat will be fine for 3 months!
Nutrition per serving, using lean beef – 2 eggplant halves (i.e. one whole eggplant) per serving. This is a satisfying meal even by itself!
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