Roasted Eggplant with Green Lentils and Lemon Tahini

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare 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. Arrange them cut-side up, brush with 25 ml olive oil, and sprinkle with 2 g salt.

   
2. 2

   Roast the eggplant and cook the lentils

   Roast the eggplant for 35 to 40 minutes, until the flesh is completely tender and the edges are golden. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils, place them in a pot with 600 ml water, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain.

   
3. 3

   Season the lentil filling

   While the lentils cook, finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the remaining 15 ml oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and black pepper, stir, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

   
4. 4

   Finish the filling and sauce

   Add the drained lentils and 2 g salt to the pan. Stir and heat for 2 minutes, until coated in the spiced mixture. In a bowl, whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and water until smooth and slowly pourable; stir in the remaining 1 g salt.

   
5. 5

   Fill the eggplants

   Divide the roasted eggplant halves among plates and gently mash the flesh with a fork to make room for the filling. Fill them with the warm lentils. Chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the filling.

   
6. 6

   Serve with the sauce and pita bread

   Briefly warm the pita breads in a dry pan or in the oven, for about 2 minutes. Drizzle the eggplants with the lemon tahini sauce and serve immediately with warm pita bread.