1 medium purple eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, cumin, paprika
pinch chilli flakes
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
4 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Halve the eggplants lengthways. Score the flesh almost through to the skin. Brush well with olive oil. Place in a baking pan. Cover loosely. Roast for 20 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion a little olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and spices. Fry for 1 minute. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh. Reserve the shells.
Chop, then add to the onion with the tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft. Spoon into the eggplant shells. Sprinkle with pine nuts or almonds. Bake for about 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Great served with Tzatziki: combine 1/2 a cup of Greek yoghurt with 1/3 of a cup of seeded and diced cucumber and 4 tablespoons of chopped mint. Serve as a light meal or as an accompaniment to grilled lamb. Serves 2.