Turkish-Style Stuffed Aubergines with Spiced Rice and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines
• 150 g long-grain rice
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 40 g pine nuts
• 1 red onion
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern. Brush with olive oil and roast cut-side up for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, fry the diced red onion in olive oil for 8 minutes until soft. Add the allspice and cinnamon, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the rice and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes until the rice is par-cooked.

3. 3

   Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan and stir into the rice mixture with the chopped parsley.

4. 4

   Scoop a little flesh from the aubergines and stir into the filling. Pile the rice filling back into the aubergine shells.

5. 5

   Return to the oven for a further 25 minutes until the rice is cooked through and the aubergines are very tender.