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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Beef » Stuffed Eggplant Boats

    Stuffed Eggplant Boats

    5 from 5 votes
    April 17, 2020 (last updated January 16, 2022) by Amina Al-Saigh

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Stuffed Eggplant Boats drizzled with yogurt and garnished with toasted almonds are undeniably delicious! They are made with a mixture of lean ground beef, eggplants, onions and tomato sauce. The spices used are cinnamon and allspice which make a magical combination. The eggplant is the perfect vessel for the delicious stuffing, inspired by classic Middle Eastern flavors. It's super easy to whip up and a perfect low carb weeknight dinner.

    Eggplant boats drizzled with yogurt, placed on a plate

    Eggplants are one of my favourite vegetables. They have a unique umami flavor and they're used so much in Middle Eastern cuisine. Often times in Iraq, they are used as a meat replacement because they have a similar taste. I grew up eating them in all kinds of ways; baked, fried, and grilled. This dish was inspired by a classic Middle Eastern dish of stuffed vegetables. Typically, vegetables are cored before being stuffed. But it's often a laborious process. That's why I prefer to make it "boat" style - so much faster and the same delicious taste.

    Stuffed eggplants served on a plate drizzled with yogurt and garnished with toasted almonds

    These Stuffed Eggplant Boats are a favourite in our house; I love making them because they're also very healthy and a great option if you're looking for a low carb weeknight meal. You can also make it using ground turkey, shredded chicken or even a meat alternative. Use what you have on hand. The few things I wouldn't skip are the yogurt sauce and the garnish. The creaminess of the yogurt with the garlic balances the dish. You can also reduce or increase the garlic in the sauce to your taste. Crunchy almonds are used as a garnish in most Middle Eastern cuisines because of the nice crunch and the nuttiness. Definitely don't skip those either! But you can use pine nuts or even toasted cashews. Leave me a review if you give this dish a try!

    For more Eggplant recipe ideas, try these:

    • Eggplant Fatteh
    • Easy Eggplant and Potato Moussaka
    Stuffed eggplants placed on a plate drizzled with yogurt and garnished with nuts

    Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Ground Beef

    Eggplants are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. We stuff, sauté, layer and even blend them into many recipes! This simple recipe for stuffed, baked eggplants combines select spices with ground beef, eggplant flesh, onions and tomato sauce. Drizzle with homemade yogurt sauce, and enjoy!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: middle eastern
    Keyword: easy dinner, eggplant, low carb
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 pieces
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh

    Ingredients

    For the Eggplant Boats:

    • 3 eggplants
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • Sprinkle of salt

    For the Filling:

    • ½ lb extra lean ground beef
    • 1 onion
    • Eggplant flesh
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 1-1.5 tsp salt more per preference
    • 2 tsp allspice
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 cup tomato sauce

    For the Yogurt Sauce:

    • 2 cups plain yogurt
    • 1-2 garlic cloves crushed
    • Juice of ½ lemon
    • ½ tsp salt

    For the Garnish:

    • ¼ cup parsley
    • ¼ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 370F
    • Trim the ends off the eggplant and peel them only every other stripe (don't peel all of it). You should end up with a "zebra" pattern.
    • Cut them in half length wise and using a teaspoon scoop out the flesh, leaving about ¼ inch thickness.
    • Sprinkle them with salt and massage them with the olive oil.
    • Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, placing them cut side up.
    • Make the filling by finely dicing the onion and softening in the olive oil.
    • Once onions are soft, add the beef and brown for a few minutes.
    • Chop up the eggplant flesh and add to the pan along with all the spices and tomato sauce. Cook until eggplant is soft and meat is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust.
    • Spoon the mixture into each eggplant boat and pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.
    • Mix all the yogurt sauce ingredients together, using room temperature yogurt.
    • Toast the almonds/pine nuts in a tsp olive oil until golden.
    • Finely chop up the parsley.
    • Assemble by adding the yogurt sauce over each boat and garnish with parsley and almonds. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    • If you don't like a strong garlic flavor in the yogurt sauce, use only 1 clove or use garlic powder.
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      Comments

    1. Lina says

      January 17, 2021 at 12:04 am

      5 stars
      Easy and quick to make, and delicious!

      Reply
    2. Fatimah says

      November 29, 2020 at 11:39 pm

      5 stars
      Obsessed with this recipe! It’s one of our go-to recipes for when we have guests over. Looks so fancy and tastes amazing. And it’s so easy to make 🙂

      Reply
      • Amina says

        December 10, 2020 at 2:31 am

        I'm so glad to hear that Fatimah! Thanks for the great feedback 🙂

        Reply
    3. Vera says

      June 18, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      Hello, is the allspices the same as 7spices? Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Amina says

        June 23, 2020 at 6:05 am

        Hi Vera - no, allspice is actually different. It's a spice that comes from a specific berry. 7 Spice however is a common Middle Eastern spice mix of several different spices. You can use 7 spice to replace allspice if you don't have it. Hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Vera says

          June 24, 2020 at 11:25 am

          Oh,well. I can't find allspices in my country 🙁 So I used only cinnamon and nutmeg for the ground beef and it turned out amazing, Thank you for the great recipe 🙂

    4. Lubna Barakat says

      April 20, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was super easy to follow and it came out delicious! It has all the essential nutrients for a meal and is a healthy alternative to frying the eggplant. I’d highly recommend all eggplant fans to give this a try!

      Reply
      • Amina says

        April 24, 2020 at 10:59 pm

        Thanks so much Lubna. Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    ABOUT ME

    Hi friend! I'm Amina, a wife and busy mother of two. And I know you're super busy too. I'm here to help you figure out dinner for your family with my easy, quick, and Middle Eastern inspired recipes. Hope you enjoy your stay - and please - have a look around and get in touch!

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