Eggplant, Lamb and Yogurt Casserole
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2 or 3eggplants (aubergines) (about 1½ pounds/680 grams), cut into 1-inch/3-centimeter cubes
- 1pound/450 grams ground lamb (lamb mince)
- 1medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- ½cup/15 grams fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
- ⅓cup/80 milliliters olive oil
- ¼cup/65 grams tomato paste
- 6garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2teaspoons ground allspice
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1(14-ounce/400-gram) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes with their juices
- 3cups/700 milliliters chicken stock
- ⅓cup/20 grams roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2cups/450 grams plain Greek yogurt
- 3large egg yolks
- 1½tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2lightly packed cups/70 grams finely grated Parmesan
- 1cup/100 grams roughly crumbled feta
- Scant ⅓ cup/40 grams pine nuts
- 2packed tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
For the Eggplant and Lamb Mixture
For the Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
708 calories; 50 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 1547 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius.
- Step 2
Add the eggplant, lamb, onion, oregano, oil, tomato paste, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, red-pepper flakes, 1¾ teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper to a 10-by-13-inch/26-by-34-centimeter (or similar) roasting pan (tin) and mix well to combine. Bake until the mixture is well browned, stirring twice throughout and breaking apart the meat with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Step 3
Remove from the oven and continue to break apart the meat very well (don’t worry if you break apart some of the eggplant, too). Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, lightly crushing the tomatoes by hand. Stir in the chicken stock and parsley then return to the oven and bake for another 35 minutes, stirring twice throughout, until the sauce is thick and rich and the eggplant is very soft. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit/250 degrees Celsius.
- Step 4
While the casserole is in the oven, prepare the topping: Whisk together the yogurt, yolks, flour, garlic and half the Parmesan with ¼ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Once ready, spoon the yogurt mixture over the lamb and eggplant, gently spreading to cover. Top evenly with the remaining Parmesan, feta, pine nuts, parsley and red-pepper flakes.
- Step 5
Bake until golden and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mari
I think a more time -and energy-efficient version fo this recipe would be to: (1) Slice the eggplant (0.5 cm) Brush the eggplant slices with oil and bake for 20-30 minutes until soft. (2) Fry off the ground lamb in a skillet, remove and drain (makes the dish less fatty) (3) In the same skillet, brown the onions and soften the garlic, add the tomatoes, herbs, spices and return the lamb to the pot - add stock to make a thick mix. (4) Layer the eggplants and meat mix in the casserole. (5) Top, bake
ianstuart
Julia Child may have recommended it but it really isn't necessary. Try salting and draining and see how much moisture is actually given off, virtually none. As for peeling the eggplant, half the taste is in the peel. Try eating pieces of apple with and without the peel and see the difference
RFAM
the recipe was developed deliberately and the lack of such directions is not a mere oversight. i'd urge cooks at home not to take it on faith that eggplant must always be peeled and pre-salted, and instead follow the instructions that the recipe gives, and decide for themselves whether it works.
Jean
No. (Come to think of it, I’ve never encountered a recipe that calls for peeled eggplant.)
Miriam
One of the best recipes so far this year. Easy to shop for, easy (and fun) to prepare, and DELICIOUS. It isn’t necessary to peel or salt the eggplant. I made it exactly as written (2 eggplants) and would not change a thing. This one is a keeper! I might just open a new Greek restaurant in the Bay Area and put Kokkari out of business. Mark my words!
HJB
I find it odd that the recipe makes no reference to: 1. The eggplant should be peeled, and the skin discarded, before cooking. Otherwise, it will feel like a plastic covering. 2. Eggplant has an undesirable bitterness, unless it is permitted to drain, after peeling. Cut the eggplant into 3/4 inch slices and salt. Reassemble the slices into two or three piles, with paper towel underneath and a weight on top. Let stand for an hour, then rinse with cold water. Then proceed with recipe.
Christine
This recipe is excellent - everyone had seconds! We substituted ground turkey for the lamb, which worked great. Used only 2 cups of chicken broth instead of 3, and it was more than enough (3 seems way too soupy). Used a little less cinnamon and allspice than it called for. Next time I think we will add sliced mushrooms, and maybe chopped tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. And maybe will try cilantro as a garnish. Overall a great recipe with lots of variation potential!
Marcie
OK. So I have a question. It seems to me that many of the people who leave comments don't cook. Anything. This is a great recipe. Change it up? Sure! But as is it's delicious. Time? I make it in about 2 hours with plenty of computer/work/reading time while things are cooking. Peel the eggplant? If you want to. Salt the eggplant? If you didn't just buy it at a farmers' market, it wouldn't hurt. Too juicy? Maybe... but the next day leftovers were perfect. Relax and enjoy.
Bush
I am sure I am not the first to recommend first microwaving(nuking) the sliced or chunked eggplant for 5 minutes. Then proceed with browning, This eliminates alot of grief and oil. Add as much EVO later as your palate directs. Nice variation on béchamel.
Vee
A picky Greek agrees that baking it is the best, non greasy way to cook it
Roz R
For the diet conscious among us’, prepare thru step three. Separate the solids from the liquids and chill both overnight. Remove hardened lamb fat before the finish.
Mari
Peeling an eggplant / aubergine is not at all necessary - the skin softens with cooking - and adds to the flavour. the varieties of eggplant/aubergine available today do not need salting and draining, as they have been bred to remove the bitterness and are harvested earlier so that they do not set seed - which causes the bitterness. I have NEVER seen a recipe that requires an eggplant to be peeled!
MC
Recommendations for vegetarian version? Will simply omitting the lamb work? Thanks!
Steve G
Made this last night. It was delicious, the topping really captures the flavor and texture of the traditional bechamel. I added some diced potatoes. BUT...this dish takes hours to make. I started at 7 p.m. and we ate just before 11. Also, 3 cups of stock is WAY too much liquid. I used only 2 cups and still ended up with SOUP after hours of high temp cooking. I had to tilt a heavy 475 degree casserole trying to pour off liquid. Next time, I'll start with 1 cup and add more at each stirring. YUM!
Randi
2nd report: yes, 425F was hot enough. Raised it to 450F to brown the yogurt topping. Really delicious. Going into regular rotation.
Grace
Delicious but a ton of work (I did brown the meat separately, that’s on me). Used only 1 c of broth which was fine, and didn’t salt the eggplant. Thank god we’ll have left for days.
Gigi
I think Mari has a good point about how to cook the eggplant separately. My eggplants were purchased at a Farmer’s Market and emitted a lot of liquid in the first round of baking. I only added 2 cups of chicken broth or it would have been soup. The sauce never really thickened. Taste is great though. Also make it easier and mix all the topping ingredients together. Sprinkle more Parmesan over the whole thing to brown on top.
MAM
This was really excellent. I do think it took more than two hours to make, but after a little chopping and mixing the yogurt topping, it was largely hands off. I think the cooking method worked very well. I did replace some of the lamb with chickpeas and cut down on both types of cheese—I liked the changes, but I’m sure it was delicious as written. If you don’t reduce the cheese, be careful about salting—I found it plenty salty even with less feta/part.
HSK
Use a casserole dish—I thought the recipe asked for a sheet pan but that wasn’t right. Definitely only 1 cup broth. Most cooking times were too long. And the proportions are off—you can use far less cheese etc and get the same effect. Otherwise a good dish. Basically a moussaka.
MamaEats
Made this as directed, but didn’t have a metal roasting pan that size, only ceramic. I agree with the other commenters and would reduce the chicken broth by 1/3 (2 cups instead of 3) if you don’t have a metal pan. While more watery than I would’ve liked, this was otherwise fantastic. Will definitely be making it again, with that modification or a metal pan. So complex and delicious, yet after this relatively simple to make.
Cynthia Wick
Such a simple and delicious delicious dish. A few thoughts….3 cups of broth is the correct amount. I think people may have used glass instead of metal roasting pan. He calls specifically for metal. So I ended up with a rich and perfectly Lucious sauce. The other note….once you spread the yogurt mixture on the meat….it seems to not be quite enough but is fine when you add the cheeses. Also once it’s done the sauce leaches into the topping but then when it cools it solidifies again.
Anda
To those worried about not peeling and salting the eggplant: I made the recipe exactly as written and in the end the eggplant is soft and eggplant-y (i.e. sweet and slightly acidic) without being bitter, and the skin as soft as the flesh. Good recipe.
zingsMom
Salted and peeled eggplant was tossed in EVOO, salt and grated parmesan, and baked for 25 minutes at 450F. Grape tomatoes and a thinly-sliced white onion were sauteed in some butter and set aside. I made a roux and added Ricotta, Parmesan and Feta to taste. Finally, I sauteed that lamb and poured off the excess fat. Everything was then mixed together with a dash of Greek spices and crushed tomatoes and baked at 450F for 20 minutes. Will add this to our weekly rotation, as we liked it.
Jean Butzen
I make this recipe in a vegetarian fashion, using Beyond Beef instead of lamb, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It is excellent, and I've made it several times.
cooking notes
Lower broth to 1.5 cups, works well with chopped lamb filet instead of ground too
teresa
The raw egg yolks in the topping are concerning.
Max H
Skip the topping and it's still great! I made this with the eggplant skin on and with a merguez lamb sausage. Urfa pepper. Serve over a bed of rice. *chefs kiss*.
Diane
3 eggplant.. add mushrooms, use breadcrumbs if too watery. Only used 2 cups of chicken stock
chef Deb
Made as written. This thing is fantastic!
Patricia C
Didn’t have the tomatoes so used tomato sauce 8 0z and 2 cups of chicken broth as others suggested. Also didn’t have fresh oregano subbed dry. Was so delicious. I can’t imagine it could be any better than this.
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