Moroccan lamb pilaf with baked eggplant

We had  a fundraising long lunch at our house the other day and stupidly I forgot to use a pomegranate I bought in one of the salads like I had planned. So, determined to use that pomegranate, I went hunting recipes and found this spiced mince with baked eggplant recipe on Taste. I modified it a little to make it more VSG friendly (and match what I had in the cupboard) and it was absolutely delicious! It also only took 20 minutes to make so that’s a massive win in my books. Give it a go and see for yourself.

Moroccan lamb pilaf with baked eggplant

Serves: 8 bariatric serves or 4 regular serves       Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 small eggplants, cut into 2cm-thick rounds
• Olive oil spray
• 250g sachet of microwaveable brown rice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I used garlic-infused for extra flavour)
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 500g lamb mince
• 1-2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning
• 1 red capsicum, chopped
• 1/4 cup plain Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pomegranate, halved, seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C with the grill function on. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Spray both sides of eggplant with oil. Place on prepared tray. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 10 minutes each side or until golden and tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add spice mix and capsicum and rice. Toss to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Serve lamb mixture with eggplant and topped with lemon juice, yoghurt, mint and pomegranate seeds.