Eggplant with Rice

Ingredients

• 100 g natural rice
• Salt
• 900 g small eggplants (3 small eggplants)
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 young zucchini
• 120 g onions (2 onions)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 150 g feta cheese (45% fat in the tub)
• 15 g tomato paste (1 tbsp)
• 400 g diced tomatoes (canned)
• 1 tsp dried herbs (thyme, rosemary)
• 4 stems basil
• 4 sprigs oregano

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cook rice in 2.5 times the amount of boiling salted water according to package instructions for 30–40 minutes.

2. 2.

   While the rice cooks, clean and wash eggplants, halve them and scoop out the flesh leaving a 1 cm thick rim with a spoon. Place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with 3 tbsp oil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C; gas: level 2–3) for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile cut the scooped-out eggplant flesh into cubes. Clean, wash and cube the zucchini. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.

4. 4.

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Sauté half of the onions and garlic for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the eggplant flesh and zucchini and sauté for another 3 minutes. Then stir in the rice and half of the crumbled feta, seasoning with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   In a pot heat the remaining oil. Sauté the rest of the onion and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste, then add the diced tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and dried herbs, and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

6. 6.

   Pour the tomato sauce into a rectangular baking dish and place the hollowed eggplant halves inside. Fill them with the zucchini–rice mixture and bake in the hot oven for 20–25 minutes.

7. 7.

   Wash the herbs, pat dry and tear leaves. Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the eggplants with the remaining feta and herb leaves.