Roasted eggplant halves filled with aromatic spiced beef and topped with a golden layer of creamy béchamel sauce. Rich, layered, and oven-baked to perfection.
🧑🍳 Overview
- Difficulty: Medium
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: ~1 hour 10 minutes
- Servings: 2
- Cuisine: Mediterranean Comfort
📝 Ingredients
For the Eggplants:
- 2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For the Filling:
- 200g ground beef
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp water
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: chopped parsley
For the Béchamel:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- Salt & a pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan or hard cheese
🧑🍳 Instructions
1. Prep and Roast Eggplants
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Scoop out some of the flesh from the eggplant halves (leave a 1cm border).
- Brush with olive oil, season with salt & pepper.
- Roast cut-side up for 25–30 minutes until tender.
2. Make the Beef Filling
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
- Add beef, cook until browned.
- Stir in spices, tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
- Optional: fold in parsley.
3. Make the Béchamel
- Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour to form a paste.
- Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until smooth and thick.
- Stir in cheese, season with salt and nutmeg.
4. Assemble & Bake
- Spoon beef filling into roasted eggplant boats.
- Top each with a layer of béchamel.
- Bake for another 15 minutes until golden on top.
5. Serve
- Serve warm with a side salad or rice.
🍽️ Nutritional Highlights (per serving, approx.)
- Calories: ~480
- Protein: 30g
- Carbs: 20g
- Fat: 32g
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📂 Categories
- Main Categories: Meat, Oven-Baked
- Additional Tags:
- Mediterranean
- Comfort Food
- Stuffed Vegetables
- Gluten-Free Option
- High-Protein
- Layered Recipes