Lentil Stuffed Eggplant with Cardamom Sauce

5 from 9 votes

Lentil Stuffed Eggplant with Cardamom Sauce

You won't believe how hearty and flavorful this Lentil Stuffed Eggplant with Cardamom Sauce and garlic tahini sauce is. With layers of warm, fragrant spices, this vegan stuffed eggplant recipe will satisfy even the pickiest palates at the table.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner, Entree

Cuisine: Mediterranean, middle eastern

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings:

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Equipment

Large skillet with fitted lid
Large oven-safe skillet or 13x9-inch baking pan

Ingredients

Lentil Stuffed Eggplant

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup dry green lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
4 small globe eggplants
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Cardamom Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (sub shallots)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 cups canned tomato puree
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Garlic Tahini Sauce

2 Tbsp. tahini, well-stirred (sub as Soom brand)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated

Instructions

Prepare lentils: Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet with a fitted lid over medium-high. Once hot, add fennel and onion; cook 7 to 8 minutes, until soft. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, and coriander; cook 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add lentils and cook 1 minute, stirring to coat in spices. Add broth and 1/2 tsp. salt; bring mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Prepare eggplant: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Use a sharp knife to cut an angled divot out of the center of each eggplant. Then use a spoon to scrape out a hollow center, leaving enough eggplant flesh so it's sturdy enough to hold the lentils (I leave at least a 1-inch border of flesh). Either discard additional eggplant flesh, or use for another recipe, such as Roasted Eggplant Dip.
Place eggplant in a 13x9-inch baking dish, and generously coat both the skin and flesh in 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and bake, flesh side down, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Cardamom Sauce: Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (such as a cast iron) over medium heat. Once hot, add onion (or shallots), garlic, and chili flakes; cook 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in tomato paste, cardamom, and cumin; cook another 2 minutes, until aromatic.
Add tomato puree, broth, sugar, and salt, and increase heat to bring mixture to a simmer. Gently simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Stir in lemon juice.
Remove eggplant from oven and use a pair of tongs to transfer each piece to the pan of tomato sauce, skin side-down. Next, fill each eggplant boat with lentil mixture, and transfer pan to the oven to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomato sauce is bubbly. (Note: if the pan you're using isn't oven-safe, spoon the cardamom tomato sauce into the 13x9-inch pan you used to roast the eggplant, and place the stuffed eggplants on top.)
While the stuffed eggplant bakes, prepare tahini sauce by combining tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl; mix well. Gradually whisk in 2 Tbsp. of water to thin sauce to desired consistency.
Remove stuffed eggplant from the oven and drizzle tahini sauce overtop. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

To Make Ahead. Roast the eggplant up to 1 day in advance, and store them in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to prepping remainder of recipe.
To Store. Place leftover stuffed eggplant in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Reheat. Gently rewarm the eggplant in a baking dish in the oven at 350ºF. Top additional tahini sauce prior to serving, if desired. You can also reheat the eggplant in the microwave in a pinch.

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