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Eggplant Wrapped Kebabs Baked in Tomato Sauce

[heart_this] · Oct 6, 2009 · 29 Comments

Eggplant Wrapped Kebabs Baked in Tomato Sauce

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

Eggplant Wrapped Kebabs Baked in Tomato Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Servings: 6
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
  1. Salt the eggplant and let sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Rinse the salt from the eggplant and pat dry.
  3. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and broil in the oven until tender, about 3-5 minutes per side.
  4. Place some of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
  5. Place one slice of eggplant across another and place some of the kebab meat in the middle.
  6. Wrap both sides of the lower eggplant up and over followed by the sides of the outer slice of eggplant.
  7. Place the eggplant wrapped kebab parcels into the baking dish and top with more tomato sauce, slices of tomatoes and pepper.
  8. 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

Spiced Lamb Kebab Meat

Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 6
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
  1. Mix everything, cover and let sit in the fridge while you prepare the eggplant.
Similar Recipes:
Melitzanes Papoutsakia (Stuffed Eggplant)
Lahanodolmades (Stuffed Cabbage)
Moussaka
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) in a Pita with Tzatziki Sauce
Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)
Imam Baildi

6 Ingredients, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Mediterranean, Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. meeso says

    October 7, 2009 at 12:50 am

    Darn… eggplant wrapped around meat… that sounds too good!

    Reply
  2. VeggieGirl says

    October 7, 2009 at 12:50 am

    Gotta love all the eggplants at the market right now, for sure!

    Reply
  3. Kathleen says

    October 7, 2009 at 1:53 am

    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

    Reply
  4. Elra says

    October 7, 2009 at 2:12 am

    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!

    Reply
  5. DCRose says

    October 7, 2009 at 2:19 am

    This looks great

    Reply
  6. Jenn says

    October 7, 2009 at 2:49 am

    Looks good! Nice idea to wrap the meat with the eggplant. Yummy!!

    Reply
  7. Ferni's Food says

    October 7, 2009 at 3:15 am

    eggplants are yummy! They are only a dollar at my supermarket right now! : D

    Reply
  8. Nina Timm says

    October 7, 2009 at 3:25 am

    I love eggplants, Kevin, you're killing me here!!!!

    Reply
  9. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    October 7, 2009 at 3:55 am

    A fabulous creation! Surely delicious tasting!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  10. mirtilla says

    October 7, 2009 at 6:00 am

    Buono!

    Reply
  11. high over happy says

    October 7, 2009 at 7:35 am

    you do the most wonderful things to eggplants. it is my new favorite vegetable, so i am inspired.

    Reply
  12. Joanne says

    October 7, 2009 at 10:18 am

    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.

    Reply
  13. Lea Ann says

    October 7, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    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.

    Reply
  14. unconfidentialcook says

    October 7, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    I missed this on Elra's blog–everything she makes is so amazing, these included. Thanks for coming by again.

    Reply
  15. Homecooked says

    October 7, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    This looks so good! I am always ready for kebabs 🙂

    Reply
  16. Diana Evans says

    October 7, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    oh yummmmmmmm!!! I have some eggplants in the garden…I will have to try this out!!!

    Reply
  17. Ivy says

    October 7, 2009 at 7:11 pm

    Oh I love eggplants with that marinara sauce they sound delicious.

    Reply
  18. Kerstin says

    October 7, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    What a gorgeous presentation! And it looks absolutely mouth watering – yum!

    Reply
  19. pityenlacocina says

    October 7, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    i love love the colour in this plate, your recipe is lovely and delicious, ver ywell done!

    cheers from london,

    pity

    Reply
  20. Dawn says

    October 7, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    what a great idea to wrap it w/ eggplant. love this. very healthy too

    Reply
  21. Tom says

    October 8, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    This is a related article discussing the benefits of eggplant

    Reply
  22. mona says

    October 8, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    Eggplant is my favorite too. Kababs wrapped in eggplant sounds too tempting. Sure gonna try it.

    Reply
  23. Ciao Chow Linda says

    October 9, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Kevin – Love this idea. I never think to make middle eastern food with my eggplants, but this is making me hungry for it.

    Reply
  24. Neen says

    October 11, 2009 at 11:13 pm

    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.

    Reply
  25. Kevin says

    October 12, 2009 at 11:37 am

    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.

    Reply
  26. Cara says

    October 12, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    Good call on adding the cinnamon~

    Reply
  27. Coniqua says

    November 29, 2009 at 12:38 am

    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

    Reply
  28. Marla says

    July 5, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    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

    Reply
  29. Being Us says

    October 27, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    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

    Reply

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