Beef and Bulgur Stuffed Eggplant

Instructions

1. 1

   Partially roast the eggplants

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin. Brush them with half of the oil, sprinkle with 1 g of salt, and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, until the flesh is soft and the surface begins to turn golden.

   
2. 2

   Cook the bulgur

   Put the bulgur in a small saucepan, add 180 ml of water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered.

   
3. 3

   Prepare the meat mixture

   Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the onion, and cook for 4 minutes, until softened. Add the beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon and letting it brown. Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and the remaining 3 g of salt. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

   
4. 4

   Mix the filling

   Remove the roasted eggplants from the oven and let them cool briefly. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a border of approximately 1 cm next to the skin. Chop the flesh and mix it with the cooked bulgur and meat mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and finely chopped parsley.

   
5. 5

   Stuff and finish baking

   Divide the mixture evenly among the hollowed-out eggplant halves and return them to the baking sheet. Bake at 220 °C for another 10 minutes, until the filling is lightly browned on top and the eggplants are completely tender. Serve warm.