Lamb and Aubergine Bake with Yoghurt and Mint

• 2large aubergines, cut into 2cm chunks
• 3 tbspolive oil
• fine salt
• 400glamb mince
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400gtin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• black pepper
• 250gGreek yoghurt
• 1small garlic clove, crushed
• 15gmint, leaves chopped
• 1/2lemon, juiced
• 250gbasmati rice
• 1/2cucumber, diced

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 210C fan. Toss the aubergine chunks with the olive oil and a teaspoon of salt on a large baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, turning once, until soft and browned at the edges. Aubergine needs to be cooked all the way through before it goes in the bake or it stays spongy.
2. 2Meanwhile put the lamb in a wide frying pan over a high heat with no oil and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and any liquid has cooked off. Pour off most of the fat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then the garlic, cumin, cinnamon and oregano for a minute.
3. 3Stir in the tomato puree, tomatoes, chickpeas, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes until thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it.
4. 4Turn the oven down to 190C fan. Fold the roasted aubergine into the lamb and tip into a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling at the edges and browned on top.
5. 5Rinse the rice and cook in salted boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes until tender, then drain. Mix the yoghurt with the crushed garlic, mint, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
6. 6Spoon the bake over the rice with the cold yoghurt on top and diced cucumber scattered over. The cold yoghurt against the hot spiced lamb is the point.

Per serving

kcal

794

protein

38.2g

fibre

13.1g

carbs

86.1g

fat

32.8g