Stuffed aubergines casserole with mildly spiced ground meat and almonds

Inspired by the aubergines "Imam Bayildi" (a recipe shared with the Turkish cuisine) and the aubergines "Papoutsakia" - two of the most popular and delicious traditional dishes in Greece - this casserole is a great idea to enjoy the aubergines during the Summer!! The chef combines the best elements of the two recipes to create a really filling and delicious meal for the whole family!!

Recipe of Yiannis Baxevanis,

a prominent Head Cook and restaurateur

"BHMAgourmet" magazine of "TO BHMA" newspaper (2012)

Ingredients (for 4 people):

1 ½ Kg of small, long and dark aubergines

salt

4-5 tbsp of olive oil

1 large white onion, cut in thin slices

500 gr. of ground beef (or lamb)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

a few whole allspice berries

a few whole peppercorns

3-4 ripe tomatoes, grated

1 cup of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 handful of blanched almonds

200 gr. of Greek thick yoghurt

1-2 eggs

2 tbsp of fresh milk

Method:

Using a sharp knife score the aubergines vertically in 4 different places (without cutting through), season the gaps with salt and leave in a colander for 20 minutes.

In a wide frying pan warm some olive oil on medium heat and fry the aubergines for a few minutes on all sides, just to get some colour. Transfer with a slotted spoon on a metal rack and leave them to drain the excess oil.

Keep some of the oil in the pan and warm it up. Add the onion and sauté stirring with a wooden spatula until it is wilted. Then add the ground meat, the garlic, the cinnamon, the allspice, the peppercorns, 1/3 of the grated tomatoes and season with salt.

Sauté the ingredients stirring with the spatula until the meat changes colour. Then take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture into a bowl to cool. Then add the parsley and stir.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the aubergines, one next to another, in a wide pyrex dish or oven pan with a lid. Empty the meat mixture on top and with the help of your fingers open the gaps on the aubergines to allow the meat to get through.

Pour the rest of the grated tomatoes on top, scatter the almonds, cover with the lid and put in the oven.

Initially bake the food for about 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put in a bowl the yoghurt, the eggs and the milk and beat with a whisk until they are well blended.

Pour the mixture over the food and put back in the oven uncovered for another 10 minutes, until a nice golden crust is formed on the top.

Take out of the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes and then serve.

Note:

Alternatively, you can serve the food (total cooking time about 35-40 min.) only along with a few dollops of chilled Greek yoghurt.