Eggplant in tahini

Eggplants with a tahini sauce, topped with mince meat and pine nuts

📝 Ingredients

• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 large eggplant or 2 small
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup tahini sauce
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 onion (chopped finely)
• 1 cup ground mince lamb or beef ((around 200g))
• 1/4 tsp seven spice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 1 tbsp mild olive oil

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Lightly toast the pine nuts in a non stick pan until slightly golden being careful not to burn them. Set aside
2. 2--- To prepare the eggplant ---
3. 3Slice the eggplants into wedges 1-2 cm thick, sprinkle soe salt and leave out to dry (ideally in sunshine) for a few hours
4. 4Brush them with mild olive oil and either deep fry in vegetable oil until golden. Alternatively you can griddle them using a griddle pan or panini press. Set aside.
5. 5--- To make the mince ---
6. 6Sauté the chopped onion in a non stick pan with a drizzle of mild olive oil until golden
7. 7Add the mince meat , seven spice, black pepper and pinch of salt. Press down with the back of a wooden spoon, sautéing for another ten minutes. Set aside
8. 8--- To make the warm tahini sauce ---
9. 9In a pot add the water, tahini, lemon juice and salt and stir vigorously until well combined. This may take a few minutes.
10. 10Then heat the tahini sauce on the hob by bringing to the boil. Simmer on low heat for a few minutes
11. 11Taste the tahini sauce if it needs any extra lemon, salt or water. The consistency should be not be too thick or too runny
12. 12--- To assemble the dish ---
13. 13In a casserole dish, line the eggplants up in a line and pour over the tahini sauce
14. 14Add the mince meat on top and sprinkle on a handful of pine nuts
15. 15Serve with flatbreads