Featured Recipe
Damascus Lamb-Stuffed Aubergines
By Kate
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A Levantine lamb-stuffed aubergine dish with a tangy yogurt-tahini sauce, slow-baked in a tomato-pomegranate glaze. Combines soft aubergines fried until golden with spiced lamb and nuts. Served atop crushed fried pitas with a touch of Aleppo pepper for heat and contrasting crunchy garnishes. Gluten-free, egg-free. Labor-intensive but rewarding. Timing and visual cues key to balance textures and flavors.
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Prep:
70 min
Cook:
100 min
Total:
170 min
Serves:
6 servings
Middle Eastern
gluten-free
comfort food
Introduction
Start with building contrasts—soft aubergines with a robust, seasoned lamb filling. Texture is king. The aubergine shells must hold shape after frying but be tender enough to bite through easily. Don’t rush peeling or hollowing—leave skin stripes. Adds chew, prevents collapse in sauce. Lamb needs proper caramelization, no steaming. Slow frying aubergines avoids sogginess but quick enough not to soak oil. Yogurt sauce balances richness with tang. Pitas soak sauce, adding crunch and texture. Garnishes punch it up—nuts for creaminess, pomegranate arils for freshness, chili flakes for aroma and heat. Substitute nuts or spices based on pantry but keep savory-sour-sweet interplay. Patience in layering flavors and textures pays off. Timing based on visual cues, aroma, feel. Master those—skip the clock and cook with senses.
Ingredients
Yogurt Sauce
- 750 ml Greek yogurt, full-fat or strained plain
- 125 ml cold water
- 45 ml tahini paste
- 7 ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2.5 ml kosher salt
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 ml zaatar spice blend or allspice as substitute
- 15 ml ghee or high-quality olive oil
- 500 g lean minced lamb
- 80 g toasted almonds, chopped (swap pine nuts)
- 15 g chopped fresh parsley
- 45 ml pomegranate molasses
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 7 small firm aubergines (~150 g each)
- Canola or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 l robust homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
- 150 ml lamb or beef stock
- 300 g pita bread, fried and crushed (or gluten-free flatbread)
- 60 g toasted almonds (swap pistachios)
- 40 g toasted pumpkin seeds (swap pine nuts)
- 80 g fresh pomegranate arils
- 20 g chopped fresh mint
- 8 ml Aleppo chili flakes
Lamb Filling
Aubergines
About the ingredients
Greek yogurt is base for sauce; if unavailable use well-drained plain yogurt. Tahini adds earthiness and mouthfeel, no good substitute except make with sesame paste and a pinch of oil. Lemon juice brightens the sauce. Garlic is raw for punch; finely mince. Zaatar can be homemade blend of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac or swap with allspice for warmth. Ghee preferred for nutty flavor and high smoke point. Lamb: lean but with some fat to carry flavor; too lean and too dry. Nuts: swap pine nuts with almonds or pumpkin seeds—toast to enhance aroma. Pomegranate molasses crucial for sour-sweet balance, can replace with lemon-honey mix but flavor changes. Aubergines firm, small to medium, uniform size for even cooking and stuffing. Oil used should tolerate high heat to avoid off flavors. Pita bread fried till crisp adds texture; gluten-free flatbread in a pinch. Garnishes elevate visual and taste contrast.
Method
Yogurt Sauce
- 1. Whisk yogurt with water, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt in a bowl until creamy but still slightly loose. Taste for balance; add more lemon or salt if needed. Chill. This sauce cuts richness with acid and garlic punch.
- 2. Heat ghee in a skillet over medium-high. Sweat the onions, garlic, and zaatar spice until soft and aromatic, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Don’t let brown or burn. Adds depth.
- 3. Stir in lamb, breaking up clumps. Brown meat thoroughly, about 7 minutes, until color changes from pink to deep brown and fat starts rendering. Avoid steaming by keeping heat up and stirring often.
- 4. Add almonds, parsley, molasses, salt, pepper. Mix well. Cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly. The molasses gives a sour-sweet layer, stabilize flavors before stuffing.
- 5. Using a vegetable peeler, peel aubergines partially, leaving stripes of skin for texture and structure. Chop off stems. Cut each lengthwise. Score flesh lengthwise without piercing skin to prevent it becoming a soggy mess.
- 6. Scoop out the flesh carefully with a teaspoon, leaving a 5 mm shell thick enough to hold filling. Don’t throw flesh—roast it later or add to dips.
- 7. Heat oil to 175°C (350°F) in a deep pan or fryer. Fry 3 or 4 aubergines in batches for about 3-4 minutes, flipping them to get evenly golden but not greasy. Skin should blister but avoid overcooking or the shells collapse. Drain on paper towels or wire rack.
- 8. Preheat oven to 195°C (380°F) with rack in center. In a deep casserole dish, pour half the tomato sauce, add stock, distribute evenly.
- 9. Stuff aubergine halves with lamb mixture right up to edges. Place snugly in casserole. Pour remaining tomato sauce over the top, covering gently but not drowning them. Cover tightly with foil to trap steam.
- 10. Bake 35 minutes until aubergines visibly soften and juices bubble gently. Remove foil, bake another 15 minutes uncovered to allow sauce to thicken and aubergines to brown slightly on top.
- 11. Spread crushed fried pita bread on serving platter to soak up juices and keep moisture balanced.
- 12. Spoon half the yogurt sauce over pitas, then gently arrange stuffed aubergines on top. Drizzle remaining yogurt sauce on aubergines and around edges.
- 13. Sprinkle toasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils and fresh mint evenly. Dust liberally with Aleppo chili flakes for aroma and mild heat. Serve warm, not hot, so flavors settle.
- If no ghee, clarified butter or neutral olive oil work. Store-bought zaatar can be replaced by equal parts sumac, dried thyme and sesame seeds, ground finely.
- If aubergines over-absorb oil during frying—pat dry and fry in smaller batches to maintain temperature. Avoid heavy frying by not overcrowding pan.
- Pita bread can be swapped with gluten-free flatbread toasted in oil or dry for crunch. Seeds can be altered to what’s available—pine nuts replaced with almonds or pumpkin seeds.
- If pomegranate molasses unavailable, a mix of lemon juice and honey or balsamic vinegar with a touch of sugar can simulate tangy sweetness.
- Timing based on texture: aubergines should be tender but keep shape, lamb filling moist but browned. Yogurt sauce texture should be creamy but pourable. Sauce must not be watery.
- Adjust chili amounts per tolerance. Aleppo chili replaces with smoked paprika or mild cayenne if needed.
Lamb Filling
Aubergines Preparation
Frying Aubergines
Assembly and Baking
Plating
Tips and Tricks
Technique Tips
Pay attention to onion browning in filling stage—no raw sharpness, but no burnt edges. Cook lamb on medium high, browning in batches if needed, to steam less and caramelize better. Hollowing aubergines: keep shell 5 mm thick for sturdiness. Oil temp crucial during frying—too cool means greasy, too hot means burnt outsides undercooked inside. Drain aubergines well on rack or paper towel. Baking covered traps moisture, softens filling and aubergines; uncovering crisps surface and concentrates sauce. Assemble carefully—pitas soak sauce quickly, best just before serving. Garnish last minute for crunch and freshness. Sauce thickness should be creamy but pourable to coat pitas and aubergines evenly. Visual cues over timer: aubergines soft but holding shape, lamb browned but moist, sauce slightly thickened but glossy.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Peel aubergines lightly. Leave stripes on skin. It adds texture, prevents collapse when frying. Don't rush; take time on cuts. Shells need balance.
- 💡 Fry in batches. Maintain oil temperature—175°C for golden results. Too cool makes them greasy; too hot means burnt outsides. Use paper towels afterwards.
- 💡 Let garlic infuse; don’t overcook it with onions. Sauté till soft, aromatic. Adding herbs like zaatar elevates flavors but don’t go too heavy.
- 💡 Test lamb for doneness through visuals. No pink, deep brown color. Don't fear browning—flavor builds with caramelization. Searing keeps moisture locked.
- 💡 Hollow aubergines gently. Leave 5mm thick shells. Toughness matters; support stuffing. Use leftover flesh for dips; waste not. Options are numerous.
