Stuffed Eggplant & Pumpkin Rice with Tomato Salsa

Ingredients for Eggplant/Aubergine

Coconut Oil                   0.7           oz

Onion Finely Chopped             3.2        oz

Garlic Finely Chopped              1.4        oz

Fresh Red Chilli Minced   0.5        oz

Eggplant              1            lbs

Mint Chopped          0.7        oz

Cilantro Chopped    0.7        oz

Lemon Juice       0.9        oz

Salt/Pepper        To Taste

Tahini(Sesame Paste)    1            oz

Ingredients for the Pumpkin Rice

Pumkin Puree   3.2        oz

Boiled Rice              8            oz

Olive oil               1            oz

Parsley Chopped     0.6        oz

Salt/Pepper        To Taste

Can Coconut milk.

Ingredients for the Tomato Salsa

Tomato Chopped and deseeded 4oz

Capsicum Chopped 1oz

Lemon zest/Juice             0.3 oz

Diced Onion       0.5oz

Method

1. Split the Eggplant into half. Drizzle some oil on eggplant and rub in salt and pepper.

2. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Check the eggplant with fork to see if it’s tender from the inside if not cook more until it gets soft.

3. Use a tablespoon to gently scoop out the eggplant flesh.  Do not break the skin of the eggplant as it will be stuffed with the mixture.

4. Mince the eggplant flesh with a knife on a chopping board. Heat the saute pan with Olive oil, add onion and chopped garlic and add to pan. Sweat the vegetables for 2 minutes and then add the eggplant mince.

5. Stir the mixture for another 5 minutes and then add the chilli and Tahini Paste. Mix all of them nicely and lastly add the chopped herbs, lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.

6. Take the pan with the mixture and stuff the eggplant shells. Bake them in the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

7. Boil the rice and strain.

8. Peel the pumpkin skin, Dice into medium size pieces and set aside. In a sauce pot add 1 can coconut milk and the pumpkin and let them cook on medium heat to cook. Once the pumpkins are soft, blend to a smooth paste.

9.Heat a pan with olive oil and add the pumpkin puree and boiled rice. Mix them together with rubber spatula and then add chopped parsley. Adjust the Salt/Pepper to taste.

10. To make the salsa, finely chop all the vegetables and transfer them into a bowl. Mix them with lemon zest, lemon juice and adjust seasoning.

11. Put the salsa on top of stuffed eggplant and garnish with some lettuce.