Syrian stuffed aubergine recipe

Make this Syrian stuffed aubergine recipe, and your own health and wellbeing won’t be the only good cause that benefits from your effort.

Millions of Syrians are facing their fifth year in civil war. To help raise funds for the millions of people sleeping in tents and makeshift shelters Human Appeal International is asking you to host a Syrian dinner party.

The idea is you put your cookery skills to good use by making a Syrian inspired meal for friends. Human Appeal International will send you a sample food parcel – similar to those Syrians will be receiving that same evening – and you’re encouraged to be as creative as you can with the ingredients to whip up a meal for your mates.

To help raise funds you can either charge guests a ticket price or ask them to contribute to your fund depending on how they rate the meal! Then spread the word by tweeting and Facebooking a pic of your dish and your evening with the hashtag #shareyourdinner.

Keen to host your own do? To give you some inspiration Harriet Emily Smith has whipped up this awesome dish. Serves 2.

Ingredients

1 medium-large aubergine

2tbsp olive oil

1 small-medium onion

1tbsp olive oil

300g tomatoes

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1tsp mixed spice

1tsp vegetable stock powder (such as Bouillon)

½tsp chilli powder

1tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the tahini drizzle

1tbsp tahini

1tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp water

½tsp cumin

Pinch salt

Preheat your oven to 200°C/392°F.

Firstly, slice the aubergine in half. Then slice around the edge of each, leaving a couple of millimetres space from the sides to make an indent/border. Then deeply score the halves with a knife within that border.

Next, place the aubergine halves into a heatproof dish, and cover each half with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Then, flip the halves and place them upside down in the dish and then move into the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the stuffing. Firstly, blend the tomatoes and set aside for later. When there is about 15 minutes left for the aubergines to cook, begin to make the sauce. Finely slice your onion and add it into a pan on a medium-high heat with the 1 tbsp olive oil. After about 2 minutes, add in the cumin seeds and garlic cloves, then fry for a further 2 minutes until golden. Next, add in the blended tomatoes, vegetable stock, ground cumin, cinnamon, mixed spice, chilli powder and some salt and pepper, stir all together and continue to cook until the aubergine halves are done.

When the aubergines have cooked, remove them from the oven. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the middle. As it was scored, it should fall come apart in rough chunks. Transfer the aubergine chunks into the sauce, and place the skins back into the dish for later and set aside.

Stir the aubergine chunks into the tomato mixture for a couple of minutes so that all is well mixed, then remove from the heat. Dividing the mixture between two, scoop the stuffing back into the aubergine skins. Set aside.

Then, make the drizzle. Add the tahini, lemon, water, cumin and a pinch of salt into a bowl and stir together until smooth. Then, drizzle on top of the aubergines and into the dish.

Lastly, place the aubergine halves back into the oven to heat through for a further 5 minutes. Then, remove from the heat and serve.