Stuffed eggplant with lamb and walnuts is a family favorite recipe. Juicy eggplants are roasted to perfection, topped with spicy lamb and crunchy walnuts. It's the perfect combination of flavors that would leave you wanting more!
My love for eggplant recipes have always been strong and luckily, this is a vegetable that's popular in Mediterranean, Persian and Turkish cuisine. What I love the most about eggplant is that you can prepare it in many different ways such as caponata, middle eastern eggplant, eggplant soup and eggplant lasagna. Today I'm going to show you a new way to prepare eggplant for your family that you're going to love!
Table Of Contents:
Why you'll love this recipe
- It's packed with amazing flavors thanks to the walnut and spices.
- This is a recipe that's easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough that you can serve it at a gathering as well.
- You can make the filling ahead of time and even freeze it if needed.
Ingredients and substitutions
Eggplant: It's best to use Italian eggplant for this recipe. Globe eggplants could be too big and Chinese eggplants would be too narrow.
Onion and garlic: The base of the lamb filling. I like to add a good amount of garlic but you can use less if desired.
Ground lamb: The flavor of lamb is different from beef and it goes well with the spices mentioned in the recipe. However, if you're not a fan of lamb, you can use ground beef instead.
Walnuts: They add a nice crunch to the filling and would make the stuffed eggplants even more delicious.
Spice mix: You need a combination of cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper.
Pomegranate molasses: To bring everything together, a drizzle of quality pomegranate molasses is what you need. I like to get the pomegranate molasses with minimum to no added sugar so my filling tastes a bit sour and tangy.
How to make stuffed eggplant
- Cut the eggplant into half lengthwise, cut diamonds into it without cutting into the skin, and brush some olive oil on top.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until it's golden brown. Meanwhile, make the lamb and walnut mixture by sautéing onion, garlic, lamb, walnuts and a selection of spices.
- Finish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses for a kick of flavor.
- Once the eggplant is roasted, top it with the lamb and walnut mixture and serve immediately. The flavor mixture is great for a family dinner or a dinner party.
Serving suggestions
If you want to have a light lunch or dinner, you can serve these stuffed eggplants boats on their own, but you can also serve them with different sides:
- Rice: Persian rice and tahdig, Lebanese rice and vermicelli, instant pot brown rice, Greek lemon rice and dill rice.
- Bread: Lavash, pita, naan or barbari.
- Salad: Greek salad, cucumber tomato feta salad, Mediterranean salad and salad shirazi.
Frequently Asked Questions
To choose the right eggplant, you should make sure it feels heavy for its size and the skin should be dark and shiny without any brown spots. It should feel very firm and not soft at all.
Yes, you can use lean ground beef instead of ground lamb for this recipe.
Leave out the lamb and use chopped mushrooms or cooked lentils instead.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
You can make the filling up to 2 days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to cook. You can also freeze the filling for up to 3 months.
More Eggplant Recipes
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
Step-by-Step Recipe
Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 large Eggplants
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion Diced
- 4 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 cup Walnuts Chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅓ cup Pomegranate Molasses See Notes
- ⅓ cup Parsley Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat with non stick spray.
- Cut the eggplants in halves lengthwise. Cut diamonds into each eggplant half, make sure not to pierce into the eggplant skin.
- Brush the eggplants with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until they're cooked.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and pour the 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pan. Saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic and cook for two minutes.
- Add in ground lamb and cook until the meat is golden brown and fully cooked.
- Add in walnuts, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir well until everything is incorporated.
- Mix in the pomegranate molasses. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Top the roasted eggplants with the lamb and walnut mixture. Add some parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make pomegranate molasses at home, simmer pomegranate juice over medium heat until it thickens and has the consistency of syrup.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes until heated through.
- You can use cooked lentils or mushrooms instead of lamb for a vegetarian version.
- If you don't like lamb, use lean ground beef for this recipe.
Nutrition
This post was sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Unicorns in the Kitchen.
Soraya Diesel
Hi Shadi, thank you so much for this recipe. It was delish! What would you serve with these? I made yogurt and mint and saj bread. Is there another way you would serve this at home. I love this take on Imam Bayildi♥️
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Soraya! You can serve this dish with different types of rice, bread or salads. Please check out our "serving suggestions" in the post for all the links to the recipes.
Sharon
I find it very annoying that people post comments - and ratings - before they have even made the recipe. Such comments are NOT useful. I urge people to try the recipe, taste the results, and THEN post comments.
Thank you for your recipes!
Sharon
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Sharon, thank you. Looking forward to seeing you trying these recipes and let us know what you think 🙂
Jennifer
I have a sever walnut allergy but other nuts are okay
What would you recommend as a substitute to walnuts
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Jennifer, You can try pecans (if they're okay) or really any other nuts such as almonds or cashews. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Danielle
I am loving this recipe. It's so unique and the flavors sound delicious. I'me going to have to hunt down this pomegranate molasses! We have all sorts of different markets here so I'm sure I can find it.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Danielle! Pomegranate molasses is so good and you can use it in different recipes. You can find it in ethnic shops and Amazon!
Debbye
These look so good, I want to reach in and grab one off the screen. And pomegranate molasses? I'm wondering if you have a recipe just for that as I could use both recipes.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Debbye! So happy you like this recipe! Well first thing, you can actually get pomegranate molasses from Amazon or any Middle Eastern / Persian shops. If you would like to make it at home, Pomegranate molasses is basically reduced pomegranate juice. If you would like to make it at home, pour 16 oz pomegranate juice into a pot and bring it boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until reduced and thickened. After making the recipe, you can refrigerate the leftovers. Hope this helps 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
I love the texture that the walnuts ad to this! I can't wait to try it!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hope you enjoy it!
Celeste | The Whole Serving
Love eggplant and this is an interesting and delicious looking way to prepare and serve this awesome vegetable.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thanks! It's a delicious one!
Deanna
Eggplant is simply yummy!!! I love stuffed eggplant. I can not wait to try this filling!!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hope you love it Deanna!
Jessica Robinson
This dish is beyond delicious! Such unique flavors and a great way for a hearty yet amazingly healthy dinner!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thanks Jessica! It's a family favorite!