Oven Baked Lamb With Eggplant, Peppers & Spices

Delicious middle eastern flavours, and easy to make in much larger quantities - most I have fed with it is 40 :) The recipe is from Cuisine magazine (www.cuisine.co.nz)

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 2  teaspoons ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons ground coriander
• 2  teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2  teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons tomato paste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1  kg lamb (lean, cut into 5cm pieces)
• 2  onions, finely sliced
• 3  eggplants, cut into 4cm dice
• 5  tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1 can of tomatoes in juice)
• 2  large  red peppers, cut into strips
• 2  tablespoons  chopped  coriander
• 2  tablespoons  chopped mint
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley
• 1  lemon, zest of

Directions

1. Place oil in a pan with all of the spices and tomato paste, and heat for 2-3 minutes until an aroma starts to develop.
2. Place the meat in a casserole or oven-proof dish and pour over the hot spice mixture. Work through the meat.
3. Mix in all the other ingredients aside from the fresh herbs and lemon zest.
4. Cover tightly and bake for 2 hours at 150°C until lamb is meltingly tender.
5. Just before serving mix through lemon zest and chopped herbs. Adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Recipe easily doubles (trebles!) – cook in a covered roasting dish.
7. Substitute beef for the lamb and add other vegetables such as zucchini, mixed peppers or okra.
8. The Vegetarian Variation: Use a cup or two of cooked chickpeas instead of the meat along with your choice of vegies (but think mediterranean).