Spicy rice-filled eggplant

Here is a vegetarian dish for all you eggplant lovers out there! Try this very easy spicy rice filled eggplants!

Preparation Time

30 minutes

Cooking Time

60 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 150g ( 3/4 cup) basmati rice
• 2 large eggplants
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, halved, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/5 tsp finely chopped fresh red chilli
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/5 cup coarsely chopped fresh continental parsley
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 130g (1/2 cup) reduced-fat yoghurt
• 2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh mint

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Use a small sharp knife to cut a 1cm border around the edge of each eggplant half. Scoop out the flesh within the border, leaving about 1.5cm of flesh on the base of each eggplant half. Finely chop the flesh.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and capsicum and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, coriander, ginger, chilli and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the chopped eggplant and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Remove from heat.
4. Add the rice, parsley, lemon rind and lemon juice to eggplant mixture, and stir to combine. Place eggplant shells in a large baking dish. Spoon rice mixture evenly among eggplant shells. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until eggplant shells are soft and filling is golden.
5. Place the yoghurt and mint in a small serving bowl and stir to combine. Serve with spicy rice-filled eggplant.

(source: taste.com.au)