Pan-roasted Eggplant with Minced Lamb

Pan-roasted Eggplant with Minced Lamb

Serves 6

​Whether it’s Chinese eggplant with minced pork, traditional Lamb Moussaka, or Beef and eggplant Lasagna, you can never go wrong with pairing the king of vegetables with minced meat. My recipe below is inspired from the famous “Roasted eggplant stuffed with minced lamb” from Jerusalem, but has a personality of its own. Indians try to keep their meat and vegetarian dishes separate, but I have never hesitated in combining the two together whenever possible. Here, I have topped pan-roasted eggplant with one of my most cherished lamb recipes - the ever-popular Indian street food “keema”, where deliciously fatty minced lamb is fried in a thick sauce made of caramelized onions, tomatoes and spices. The end-result is a moist mass of perfectly-browned mince served with hot and toasty sourdough.

​I much prefer pan-roasted eggplant over oven-roasted as it cooks pretty fast on a hot pan, gaining a lovely char while retaining all the rich meatiness within. Top the slices generously with some spiced keema (you can make it as mild or as hot as you like it), a dollop of creamy greek yogurt, some toasted pinenuts and ruby-red pomegranate pearls, and voila! You have a meal fit for a king!

​This is a wonderful meal to make especially for a crowd. It’s easy, fuss-free, can be prepped ahead of time, and is extremely satisfying. Put together a few leafy greens in a pretty salad bowl, drizzle some parsley tahini (recipe here) on top, and you have a super-tasty salad to go with your already wonderful main. This dressing is delicious on some toasted sourdough too.

Enjoy the recipe and as always, leave any questions you may lave in comments. Happy Cooking!​

Ingredients
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​3 large or 800g eggplant, cut into 1 cm slices

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1 teaspoon cumin seeds ​

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250g red onion, chopped ​

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1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

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3 cloves garlic, chopped

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1 fresh bird’s eye chili, chopped

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3-4 green cardamoms, pounded using a mortar and pestle ​

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1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

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1 tablespoon coriander powder

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1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste

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1.5 teaspoon salt

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200g tomatoes, pureed

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500g minced lamb or beef (keema)

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1/4 cup yogurt, at room temperature, whisked well (optional)

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1 teaspoon garam masala

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1 tablespoon lemon juice ​

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1/4 cup coriander leaves, for garnish

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1/2 cup pomegranate pearls, for garnish

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2-3 tablespoons toasted pine-nuts, for garnish

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1/3 cup Greek yogurt, whisked

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Sourdough loaf, sliced and toasted

Recipe
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1 Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok, add cumin seeds, pounded green cardamoms followed by chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes.

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2 Add ginger, garlic, chili and sauté for 5-7 minutes until onion starts to brown. Add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt - stir well.

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3Add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium-high flame. Add minced meat, stir well making sure there are no lumps. Cook for 6-8 minutes until meat is brown all over, and oil starts to separate.

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4Add whisked yogurt - stir well, reduce heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until meat is fully cooked.

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5Add garam masala powder, coriander leaves, lemon juice and stir well. Set aside, until ready to use.

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6In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium flame. Place as many eggplant slices as you can fit in the pan, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy-golden. Set aside on a tray, and continue frying the rest of the eggplant - set aside.

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7Lay roast eggplant on a large platter, spread minced lamb generously all over eggplant, drizzle some creamy Greek yogurt and finally, garnish with toasted pine-nuts and pomegranate pearls. Serve hot with toasted sourdough.

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