- Prep Time:
10 Min - Cook Time:
20 Min
- Difficulty:
easy
- Serves:
6
Ricotta-Spinach Stuffed Eggplants
Description
This ricotta and spinach stuffed eggplant was inspired by Moussaka-filled Eggplants. It can be served as a vegetarian starter or main dish. Ricotta cheese can be substituted with cottage cheese or paneer.
add to shopping list Ingredients
3 medium eggplants, washed and halved
1 bundle of spinach, chopped coarsely
200 g fresh ricotta/cottage cheese/paneer
1/2 cup Tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, chopped
10-12 black peppercorns, crushed
2.5 cm cinnamon stick, pounded into powder
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt to taste
2-3 tomatoes, sliced
some Parmesan cheese grated on the top*
Preparation
*Instead of Parmesan cheese, you can prepare a topping by mixing 150 g natural yoghurt, 1 egg yolk, freshly grated nutmeg (optional) and salt&pepper. Pour this topping over the filling and top with the sliced tomatoes.
1. First scoop out most of the flesh of the eggplants leaving an inner shell about 1/2 cm thick. Cut the flesh into small cubes.
2. Rub the eggplant shells with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Place them into preheated grill (oven) for about 6 minutes or until golden brown and lightly softened.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and cook the spinach in it for a few minutes. When it becomes soft, add pepper corns, cinnamon, garlic, chili flakes, eggplant flesh and salt to taste and cook it till it becomes soft.
4. Add the tomato puree, stir it in and simmer for a moments.
5. Finally, add ricotta cheese and cook for a few more minutes.
6. Stuff the eggplant shells with spinach-ricotta filling, top with grated Parmesan cheese and tomato slices. Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 C for about 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with salad and nice bread.
