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Eggplant in tahini

Eggplants with a tahini sauce, topped with mince meat and pine nuts

Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword Comfort food, Dinner Party, Eggplant
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 1 large eggplant or 2 small

For the warm tahini sauce

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup tahini sauce
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the mince meat

  • 1 onion chopped finely
  • 1 cup ground mince lamb or beef (around 200g)
  • ¼ teaspoon seven spice
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon mild olive oil

Instructions

  1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a non stick pan until slightly golden being careful not to burn them. Set aside

To prepare the eggplant

  1. Slice the eggplants into wedges 1-2 cm thick, sprinkle soe salt and leave out to dry (ideally in sunshine) for a few hours
  2. Brush them with mild olive oil and either deep fry in vegetable oil until golden. Alternatively you can griddle them using a griddle pan or panini press. Set aside.

To make the mince

  1. Sauté the chopped onion in a non stick pan with a drizzle of mild olive oil until golden

  2. Add the mince meat , seven spice, black pepper and pinch of salt. Press down with the back of a wooden spoon, sautéing for another ten minutes. Set aside

To make the warm tahini sauce

  1. In a pot add the water, tahini, lemon juice and salt and stir vigorously until well combined. This may take a few minutes.

  2. Then heat the tahini sauce on the hob by bringing to the boil. Simmer on low heat for a few minutes

  3. Taste the tahini sauce if it needs any extra lemon, salt or water. The consistency should be not be too thick or too runny

To assemble the dish

  1. In a casserole dish, line the eggplants up in a line and pour over the tahini sauce
  2. Add the mince meat on top and sprinkle on a handful of pine nuts
  3. Serve with flatbreads