Persian Stuffed Eggplant with Ground Beef
Persian Stuffed Eggplant, also known as bademjan shekam por, is an open-faced fried eggplant filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, garlic, crushed tomato, fresh parsley, and some spices, then baked in a rich tomato sauce until tender.
This Mediterranean eggplant dish is easy enough for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough for a dinner party! Halim Bademjan is another easy Persian dish with eggplant and lentils you might like to try.
Yield: Serves 6
- 10 small Italian eggplants, each 6 inches in length
- 480 g extra lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4 tomatoes, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt & pepper
For sauce:
Wash and peel the eggplants, keep the stems (do not cut off the stems from the eggplants). Slit the eggplants lengthwise, almost all the way down to the stem.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover the oven rack with aluminum foil and place the eggplants on the rack in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Fry the eggplants until golden brown (do not use too much oil). Place them on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
Meanwhile make the stuffing: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Increase heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
Reduce heat to medium, add turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup hot water. Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add parsley, oregano and lemon juice. Cook for 6-8 more minutes. Adjust seasonings and set the stuffing aside.
To prepare the sauce: place the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Simmer covered over medium heat until it has thickened, about 7-8 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread enough tomato sauce to coat the bottom of 2 baking dishes (reserve some of the sauce for topping).
Spoon the stuffing into the open eggplants and place them over the tomatoes sauce.
Spoon remaining sauce over each one.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with parsley and serve.
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I'm always looking for fun food to make with great presentation to serve up at dinner gatherings. I will definitely have to give this Persian stuffed eggplant with ground beef a try. I have always made stuffed steamed banana peppers with ground pork but never eggplants. I'm excited to try it.