Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Roast the eggplant
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin. Brush with 20 ml of the olive oil and sprinkle with 2 g of the salt. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, until the flesh is tender and the edges begin to brown.
Prepare the bulgur
While the eggplant roasts, put the bulgur in a bowl and pour over 220 ml of boiling water. Cover the bowl and let stand for 12 minutes. Then fluff the bulgur with a fork.
Brown the meat and vegetables
Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the remaining 10 ml of oil in a pan. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic, caraway, coriander, cinnamon, and black pepper; stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef and the remaining 4 g of salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and letting it brown rather than merely steam.
Finish the filling
Pour the chopped tomatoes and their juice into the pan. Carefully scoop the flesh from the roasted eggplant halves, leaving a layer about 8 mm thick inside the skins. Chop the flesh, add it to the pan, and cook the mixture uncovered for 5 minutes, until the excess liquid has evaporated. Stir in the fluffed bulgur.
Fill and bake
Divide the filling among the hollowed eggplant halves. Return them to the baking sheet and bake at 220 °C for another 10 minutes, until the filling is heated through and the top is lightly browned.
Make the sauce and serve
Mix the tahini with freshly squeezed lemon juice and 45 ml of water. Whisk until smooth and pourable. Chop the parsley. Serve the roasted eggplant immediately, drizzled with tahini sauce and sprinkled with parsley.
