Bademjoon shekam por
Stuffed eggplants with beef and herbs
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 4 Asian eggplants, or 2 Italian
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
Filling
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef, lamb or turkey
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 cups water
Topping
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Eggplants
- Using a peeler, fully or partially peel the eggplants, keeping the stem and cap attached.
- Using a paring knife, make a shallow slit along the length of the eggplant so that it can cook properly and be ready for stuffing.
- Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and drizzle the oil on the outside and inside of the eggplant.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt over the eggplants, turning them to ensure the salt is well incorporated onto the eggplants.
- Place the eggplants in a 425 degree F oven and roast for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
Filling
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan and saute the onions for 10 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, and garlic and continue to saute for 2 additional minutes.
- Add the ground meat and continue to saute on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add the tomato paste and saute for 2 additional minutes to develop more flavor and depth.
- Continue by adding the tomatoes, green pepper, and water. Cover and increase the heat to high and bring the meat sauce to a gentle boil.
- Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the frying pan and place it in a mixing bowl.
Assembly
- Arrange the eggplants in the same frying pan that the filling was prepared in.
- Gently open the eggplants where the slits were made and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt inside the eggplants.
- Using a spoon, fill each eggplant with as much stuffing as you can. Drizzle the remainder of the sauce and filling over the eggplants.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
- Adjust the sauce by adding more water if needed.
- Using a long spatula, carefully remove the eggplants from the pan and arrange them on a serving platter.
- Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top and serve hot.
- Bademjoon Shekam Por can be served with steamed basmati rice or flatbreads along with yogurt and a platter of fresh herbs.
Notes
Alternatively if the eggplants were too large to fit in the frying pan, you can bake them in a covered baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 350 degree F for 30-40 minutes.
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