About:

This is a delicious healthy meal where the fillings can be customised as per choice. This can be served as a main dish Or a starter skipping bulgur filling. I love the texture of eggplant, which is soft and gives a crunchy roasted flavour especially when contrasted with bean and rice filling. It is aromatic with whole spices which tantalises the taste buds

Health Benefits:

Aubergine or Brinjal, is a very low calorie vegetable and has healthy nutrition profile. The peel or skin (deep blue/purple varieties) of aubergine has significant amounts of antioxidants which helps to fight against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological disease.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Aubergine – 2num
• Salt – To taste
• Oil – For baking

For Bulgur filling:

• Bulgur – 1cup
• Chopped Capsicum-1num
• Chopped Onion-1num
• Salt-as per taste
• Lemon juice-1tbsp
• Oil-2tsp

Bulgur masala:

• Roasted Peanuts-2tbsp
• Whole Garam masala – (Cloves-3pods, Bay leaf, Cinnamon-1inch stick, Aniseed-1/2, Cardamom-1num)
• Black pepper corns-7-8
• Dry red chilli-2-3num
• Coriander seeds-1tsp
• Desiccated coconut-2-3tbsp
• Curry leaves-4-5leaves
• Urad dal-1tbsp

Bean filling

• Kidney beans – 1 tin rinsed and washed thoroughly
• Tomato puree – 3 to 4 tomato
• Chopped Onion – 1 medium
• Chopped Garlic – 3 cloves
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1tsp
• Aam choor/Dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Oil

For Serving:

• Greek yogurt/Sour cream/Cheese
• Salad greens
• Dried herbs

Method:

There are 3 main steps:

1. Baking Aubergine
2. Preparing filling for Bulgur and Bean
3. Serving

Baking:

• Pre-heat the oven for 190deg and line the baking tray
• Slit the Aubergine in the centre and remove the centre flesh by leaving the sides of 1-1.5cm from the skin
• Brush the slit aubergine and place it on the tray and bake it for 15min

Bulgur filling:

• Boil 2 cups of water in sauce and cook for 15 minutes until the Bulgur is fluffy
• In a pan roast Cloves, Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Cardamom, Black pepper corns, Red chilli, Coriander seeds, Desiccated coconut, Curry leaves & Urad dal
• Then grind along with peanuts it to make the powder and set aside
• In the Pan heat the Oil Add onion and as its slightly translucent add capsicum and sauté.
• Add dry spices, Chilli powder, Salt  and  mix well;
• When the raw flavour leaves add the grinded masala powder and simmer for 2-3minutes and remove from the flame.
• As the mixture cools down add Rice and squeeze lemon juice and mix well.(Add salt if required).

For bean filling:

• Heat oil in another sauce pan; Add Garlic, Onion and saute for 2 – 3 minutes
• Add tomato puree and cook until slightly thickens
• Add chilli powder, Coriander and Aam choor powder and cook until the raw flavour goes off
• Then add rinsed kidney beans and simmer until heated through to form a thick filling (This is used as a filled and mixture need to be thicker)
• Turnoff the flame
• Stir in lemon juice and set aside

For Serving:

• Remove from the oven and fill the stuffing as layers (As per your desire)
• First layer it with the beans then Bulgur stuffing
• Sprinkle it with some spices like dried herbs, crushed pepper then splash with lemon juice
• Serve hot as a main dish.

Note:

• Sprinkling spices is optional
• Rice of choice can be used in place of Bulgur
• Layers of stuffing can be done with different veggies of your choice
• For an added chewy dish bake once the serving is done for 12 – 15 minutes