Eggplant filled with minced meat and raisins, a surprisingly tasty recipe for a gluten-free main dish. Not difficult to prepare. Aubergine is a fruit vegetable like cucumber, tomato and bell pepper, best known in the Netherlands as a component of the Greek moussaka and part of the Provençal ratatouille. Nowadays it can also be found more and more in the Dutch kitchen as an independently eaten vegetable. The aubergine variety, which is often sold in the Netherlands, is characterized by its deep purple skin and white flesh. This basic recipe can be varied to your heart’s content with other ingredients and herbs, if the minced meat is replaced by vegetables, it is also a nutritious, vegetarian dish.
Origin eggplant
The eggplant is originally from Burma and was imported to Europe via Spain in the mid-15th century. This vegetable, also called ‘egg plant’ or ‘egg fruit’, a derivative of the English name ‘eggplant’, belongs to the so-called nightshade family. China and India have known the vegetable for centuries, nowadays it is also widely grown in Dutch greenhouses and is widely available in greengrocers and supermarkets almost all year round.
The rather large oval-shaped purple aubergine with a weight of approximately 275 grams is best known. In addition, white, yellow and striped aubergines are also available in smaller sizes.
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 300 grams of ground beef
- 1 onion
- 75 grams of raisins
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 125 ml of cooking cream
- 75 grams of grated cheese
Preparation gluten-free main dish
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the two aubergines in half lengthwise and scoop out enough pulp with a spoon until an edge of about 0.5 cm remains. (aubergines do not need to be peeled, just a scrub). Cut the flesh into small cubes and chop the onion. Place the aubergines with the rounded side in an oven dish, and sprinkle the inside with salt. The pulp will quickly turn brown, which does not affect the taste after preparation.
Spoon 5 tablespoons of water into the baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the minced meat in it. Add the aubergine cubes and onion and stir-fry this mixture for a few minutes. Then add the raisins, curry powder, cooking cream and 3 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring this mixture to the boil and divide it over the four aubergine halves. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and put the dish in the now preheated oven and place the dish on the grid, in the middle of the oven. After 30 minutes the dish is ready and can be served.
Tips to vary
- Replace the grated cheese with thinly sliced tomato and pepper strips
- Vary with garlic and / or strongly scented herbs such as oregano, parsley and thyme
Serving tip
The stuffed aubergines are a complete, gluten-free main meal in themselves, so serve them with light side dishes such as a timbala of rice and possibly a fresh tomato salad.