Ballot Box Bake

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 large zucchini
• 800 g lamb mince
• 2 red onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch parsley
• 100 g feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into four thick slabs (about 1.5 cm each).
3. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast on baking paper for 20 minutes until golden. Let cool.
4. Finely chop the onions and garlic.
5. Sauté onion and garlic in a large pan with olive oil. Add mince, brown and crumble.
6. Add cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Add diced tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Dice the zucchini, add to the meat mixture, and stew for 5 minutes.
8. Spoon mixture into a rectangular oven dish (20x30 cm), smoothing the top.
9. Stand the four roasted eggplant slices upright in the dish, evenly spaced, like 'ballots' sticking out of the 'ballot box'.
10. Crumble feta over the meat mixture between the eggplant slices.
11. Bake for another 15 minutes until heated through.
12. Garnish with coarsely chopped parsley.

Serving notes

• Serve neatly on a white plate, so the ballot box shape is clear.
• Keep the eggplant slices upright, not leaning.