Eggplant Stuffed with Lamb and Chickpeas

This type of dish is eaten throughout the Middle East - with or without the chickpeas.  Often you will see tomato sauce used as a base for roasting - here I simply use lemon water.  You can flavor the water with a dash of tamarind paste as well.

Known in Turkey as Karniyarik - meaning 'slashed belly', these eggplants are slit and roasted and their bellies are stuffed with an aromatic lamb-chicpea mixture.  I think pomegranate seeds would make a great addition.  You can serve this with feta cheese or maybe a light yogurt-garlic sauce.
2 eggplants

1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper cut in half lengthwise
1 lb ground lamb
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large fresh ripe tomato, cut into 8 wedges
2 Tbsp pignoli nuts
1/2 cup water
juice of half a lemon
1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425F. Slit the eggplants down the center, being careful not to cut down as far as the skin. Brush the surface of the eggplants generously with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast the eggplants for about 20-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a large skillet in a bit of olive oil. Dice half the green pepper and add to the onion. When the veggies have softened, and begun to color, about 8-10 minutes, add the lamb chickpeas and spices and cook, stirring often over medium-high heat. Let the lamb brown well and lose any moisture it releases.

This should take about 15 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the eggplants when they are ready. Using a spoon, gently peek inside the slit and scoop out any seeds you can find, making a bit more room for the stuffing. Spread the eggplant flesh apart gently. Top each eggplant with 1/4 of the lamb filling, making a pile, if necessary. Decorate each with 2 wedges of tomato. Slice the raining green pepper and decorate the eggplants with the pepper slices. Sprinkle the pignoli nuts over the top.

Pour the water and lemon juice around the eggplants and cover lightly with aluminum foil.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375F and return the eggplants to the oven. Bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake another 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are fully cooked through and soft, and the topping is very well browned.

Remove from oven and plate the eggplants. Sprinkle feta on top and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I did not pre-salt and rinse the eggplants - I find scooping out the seeds removes any bitter flavor that might exist.