Eggplant dolma (vegetarian stuffed eggplant)

 By using in-season produce, fruit and vegetables are the star in every dish.

Ingredients (serves 5)

• 3 onions, diced
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp currants
• 1 ¾ cup brown rice
• 2 tomatoes, grated and skin thrown away
• 5 tbsp stevia or xylitol
• 1 heaped tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp all spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup chopped dill
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¾ cup chopped mint or 2 tbsp dried mint
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 6 long medium eggplants
• Extra olive oil to drizzle

To serve

• ¼ cup pinenuts
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• ½ tsp sumac
• ¼ tsp dried mint
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper

Method
Begin by cooking the onions in a shallow saucepan with the olive oil. Cook for five minutes or until onions are translucent. Add in the pine nuts, currants and brown rice. Let fry for a further two minutes before adding in the tomatoes and letting simmer over a low heat until all liquid is gone.

Add in the sugar, spices and herbs then mix together and remove from the heat. Set aside.

To prepare your eggplants, simply slice each eggplant from the near the tip to towards bottom – ensuring just a small opening and each end is still intact. Place these in a greased Pyrex dish with a drizzle of olive oil, then pop in the oven for 10 minutes or until softened. Remove the eggplants from the oven and gently push the insides of the eggplants towards the skin, making room for stuffing.

Stuff each eggplant with the mixture and place back into the Pyrex dish. Place two cups of water around the eggplants and cover with foil.

Place into the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until rice has softened and water has evaporated. Add more water if the rice is still remaining hard.

Remove foil and let brown on top.

In a small saucepan, place all topping ingredients and cook until the pine nuts have browned. Sprinkle over the eggplants and serve warm with yoghurt.

Recipe by Kate Bradley and image by Elisa Watson

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