Israeli food has become very popular across the globe. My family loves it, so I often test all kinds of recipes on them and get their feedback when I experiment with new varieties of Israeli cuisine. Stuffed eggplants in particular have been appearing in cookbooks, magazines and blogs in the last few years. The eggplant is usually stuffed with beef or lamb, but I wanted to try a vegetarian version. This eggplant dish was inspired by my love of falafel, and my family really enjoyed it.
Falafel Stuffed Eggplant
Recipe By Naomi Nachman
- Cooking and Prep: 1 h
- Serves: 4
-
Contains:
Ingredients (22)
Eggplants
Israeli Salad Relish
Start Cooking
Prepare the Eggplants
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise; score cut sides with a crosshatch pattern. Place the eggplant halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet lined with Gefen Easy Baking Parchment Paper. Season the eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt and olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly tender and browned. Set aside.
-
In a food processor, combine chickpeas with onion, bread crumbs, parsley, tahini, remaining olive oil, and spices, and process until smooth.
-
Place eggplants in a baking dish. Spoon a half cup of the chickpea mixture into each eggplant shell. Add water and lemon juice to the bottom of the pan. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until eggplant halves are tender and chickpea mixture is lightly browned.
-
Combine relish ingredients in a separate bowl.
-
To plate, place eggplant halves on a platter. Top each with 1/4 cup of the relish and drizzle with tahini sauce.
About
Falafel Stuffed Eggplant appears in Naomi's newest cookbook, Perfect Flavors, published by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications. Photography by Miriam Pascal.
