Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts

1 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the eggplants in a large baking dish, cut sides up. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes, until browned.

2 . Stage

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, cumin, and paprika. In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and half of the spice mixture, cover, and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 4 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet. Stir in the pine nuts, tomato paste, half of the parsley, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and season the lamb with salt and pepper.

3 . Stage

Spoon the filling onto the eggplants. In the small bowl with the remaining spices, combine 1/2 cup of water, the lemon juice, tamarind concentrate, remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and pour into the baking dish. Add the cinnamon stick and cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 50 minutes, basting twice with the pan juices, until very tender.

4 . Stage

Transfer the eggplants to plates or a platter and discard the cinnamon stick. Pour the pan juices over the eggplants, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve. Looking for more dinner options? Check out our pork chop recipes, chicken recipes, and potato recipes.