The farmers market has been full of early falls bounty lately including lots of eggplants, tomatoes and peppers. I really enjoy eggplant and I am always on the lookout for new ways to use it and I recently came across a really interesting sounding recipe for kebabs wrapped in eggplant baked in tomato sauce on Elra’s Cooking . Kebab is a variety of meat dishes in Mediterranean cuisine where in this case it is a spiced ground lamb with lots of herbs that is wrapped in eggplant and then roasted in tomato sauce. One thing that I have always found interesting in Mediterranean is the use of cinnamon in meat dishes and I was kind of expecting/hoping to see it in this recipe and when I did not I added some for that hint of exotic. The next change that I made to the recipe was to broil the eggplant slices rather than frying them in oil to lighten up the dish a bit. For the tomato sauce I used a simple marinara sauce recipe except that I roasted the tomatoes first to add even more flavour. Though the eggplant wrapped kebabs took a bit of time to make, everything was pretty easy and they turned out great! I really like the way that the tomato slices on top roasted down to perfection, caramelizing slightly and concentrating their flavour. The eggplant worked really well as a wrap and meat on the inside was nice and moist and tender and tasty. The roasted tomato sauce finished off the dish nicely adding a ton of flavour. I served the kebab wrapped in eggplant with some feta and some crusty bread.
Eggplant Wrapped Kebabs Baked in Tomato Sauce
ingredients
- 4 eggplants (sliced lengthwise to 1/8 inch)
- salt
- olive oil
- 2 green peppers (sliced into 1 inch strips)
- 2 tomatoes (sliced)
- kebab meat (see below)
- 1 batch of your favourite tomato sauce (I used a roasted tomato marinara sauce)
directions
- Salt the eggplant and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Rinse the salt from the eggplant and pat dry.
- Brush the eggplant with olive oil and broil in the oven until tender, about 3-5 minutes per side.
- Place some of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Place one slice of eggplant across another and place some of the kebab meat in the middle.
- Wrap both sides of the lower eggplant up and over followed by the sides of the outer slice of eggplant.
- Place the eggplant wrapped kebab parcels into the baking dish and top with more tomato sauce, slices of tomatoes and pepper.
- Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven until the tomatoes and peppers are nice an roasted and the sides are bubbling, about 45-60 minutes.
Spiced Lamb Kebab Meat
ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 cup herbs such as parsley, mint, cilantro (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- salt and pepper
directions
- Mix everything, cover and let sit in the fridge while you prepare the eggplant.
Darn… eggplant wrapped around meat… that sounds too good!
Gotta love all the eggplants at the market right now, for sure!
Wow this looks incredible!My husband is Lebanese and I was taught how to cook arabic food by his mama. This looks like a great twist on some familiar favorites. I am with you on broiling the eggplant rather than frying. It acts like such a sponge and if I can cut a few calories I'm all for it. Next time try adding allspice in lieu of cinnamon. That's the main spice in Kibbee and the grape leaves I was taught to make! Thanks for all your help today 🙂 kathleen
Oh my gosh, you made it!!!! I like your version as well. I agree completely that frying the eggplant is pretty on the heavier side, because they just love to soak up all of the oil. I would really want to try broil instead of frying. Good idea Kevin! Oh one more thing, I gues you have the patient of roasting your own tomatoes, but I know it all worth it. YUM!
This looks great
Looks good! Nice idea to wrap the meat with the eggplant. Yummy!!
eggplants are yummy! They are only a dollar at my supermarket right now! : D
I love eggplants, Kevin, you're killing me here!!!!
A fabulous creation! Surely delicious tasting!
Cheers,
Rosa
Buono!
you do the most wonderful things to eggplants. it is my new favorite vegetable, so i am inspired.
There are so many things to love about this dish. First of all – the eggplant! Second of all – the kebabs. You did right by adding cinnamon. Third of all – feta and crusty bread! Heavenly.
Wow, this looks so interesting. You post some very clever recipes. I've saved so many, now I just need to find the time to prepare them.
I missed this on Elra's blog–everything she makes is so amazing, these included. Thanks for coming by again.
This looks so good! I am always ready for kebabs 🙂
oh yummmmmmmm!!! I have some eggplants in the garden…I will have to try this out!!!
Oh I love eggplants with that marinara sauce they sound delicious.
What a gorgeous presentation! And it looks absolutely mouth watering – yum!
i love love the colour in this plate, your recipe is lovely and delicious, ver ywell done!
cheers from london,
pity
what a great idea to wrap it w/ eggplant. love this. very healthy too
This is a related article discussing the benefits of eggplant
Eggplant is my favorite too. Kababs wrapped in eggplant sounds too tempting. Sure gonna try it.
Kevin – Love this idea. I never think to make middle eastern food with my eggplants, but this is making me hungry for it.
So, question for you: in the past 2+ years that I've been following you, I've never seen you cook the same recipe twice. Yet you blog at least 5 times a week… so have you really been cooking 100% new recipes every day for years??
Wow. I'm impressed.
Neen: I am pretty much eating all new recipes all the time. I do enjoy taking my favorite flavours from past dishes and using them in new ways though. 🙂 Occasionally when I get a craving though, I make a duplicate and update the photo in an old post.
Good call on adding the cinnamon~
I'm trying this tonight. I'm getting so many good lamb and dessert ideas from your blog. I think I'll try the date pecan pie this weekend as well
Kevin, these kebabs look unique & fabulous! Love the idea of eggplant.
It is Kebab week at Get Grillin' we would love if you submitted up to any 3 recipes (they don't have to be grilled) to our link up. This one would be perfect!
This week we have a Rosle Grill Utensils giveaway. http://su.pr/1BZGKK
Tried this years ago, made by a lebanses friend. I wanted to recreate them but couldn't remember the recipe! Found yours and made them. Delicious! Thank you… HA