Munahi Kousa (Stuffed eggplant with rice, meat, and chickpeas)
Recipe
6 (6-inch long) eggplants
1/2 cup long-grain or jasmine rice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 lb ground lamb or beef chuck)
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Hollow out each eggplant, working from bottom end and leaving about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts. Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer.
Add rice, meat, chickpeas, allspice, cumin, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands.
Stuff eggplant with meat mixture, being careful not to pack tightly, Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes to one hour.