Recipes and photos are AI created and editorially reviewed. Nutrition figures are estimates.
Tender baked aubergine halves filled with slowly softened onion, garlic, pepper and tomato, rich with olive oil and parsley.
Side dish. Good with lamb shish, grilled chicken or baked sea bass. Find a main
Equipment: Baking dish, large frying pan
Measures and names
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergines (eggplants), halved lengthways
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, about 300 g, chopped
- 1 tsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 100 ml water
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Score the cut sides of the aubergines in a criss-cross, brush with 1 tbsp of the oil, season and roast cut-side up in a baking dish for 20 minutes until softened.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 10-12 minutes until very soft and golden. Add the garlic and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for 8-10 minutes until thick. Take off the heat and stir in most of the parsley and the lemon juice. Season well.
- Press down the centre of each aubergine half with a spoon to make a hollow and pile in the filling. Pour the water into the dish, cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until the aubergines are completely tender.
- Leave to cool slightly, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
Swaps and tips
The classic recipe uses a little sugar; long, slow cooking of the onions gives enough sweetness without it. It is traditionally served at room temperature and keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Easy variations
- Serve with a spoonful of garlicky yoghurt
- Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes to the filling
- Add ½ tsp ground allspice to the onions
- Scatter with crumbled feta
Nutrition estimated, per serving
| Protein | Carbs | Fibre | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 g | 11 g | 6 g | 10 g | 150 kcal |
Values are estimates based on typical UK food composition data and will vary with brands and portion sizes.
Recipes are AI created and editorially reviewed; kitchen testing is ongoing. Made this recipe? .
Recipe from healthshelf.org
