Middle Eastern · Dinner
Layered Eggplant and Rice Bake
Chicken thigh baked in overlapping layers with roasted eggplant, tomato and warm cinnamon-cumin rice, finished with toasted pine nuts and yogurt on the side. The eggplant is salted then pan-fried before layering, giving the bake a soft, saucy texture under a lightly browned top.
$5
25 minsPrep
45 minsCook
70 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
612Calories
41.3gProtein
24.8gFat
58.6gCarbs
9.8gSugar
8.9gFiber
610mgSodium
167mgChol
5.2gSat Fat
1180mgPotassium
115mgCalcium
4.6mgIron
0.6mcgVitamin B12
10.2mgVitamin C
protein-rich
high-fiber
mediterranean
all-time-classics
Instructions
1
Prep
Salt the eggplant and let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry with a towel until no beads of moisture remain.
2
Sear
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant rounds 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and softened.
3
Saute
Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic 3 to 4 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
4
Bloom
Stir in cinnamon, cumin and allspice over medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant and the spices coat the aromatics in an oily film.
5
Sear
Add chicken thigh pieces to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until the outside is opaque and lightly browned.
6
Build
Spread crushed tomato in a small oven-safe dish, layer the fried eggplant rounds on top, scatter the chicken and onion mixture over the eggplant, then spread the rinsed rice as the final layer.
7
Simmer
Pour chicken stock over the layered dish, cover tightly with foil, and set the dish over low heat on the stovetop for 2 minutes until the liquid just starts to bubble at the edges.
8
Bake
Transfer the covered dish to an oven preheated to 375°F (190°C) and bake 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is tender and all the stock has been absorbed.
9
Rest
Remove the dish from the oven and let stand covered 10 minutes so the layers set enough to hold together when inverted or scooped.
10
Plate
Invert the bake onto a plate or scoop it directly onto a plate, scatter the pine nuts on top, and serve with the yogurt spooned alongside.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 15 oz426g boneless chicken thigh
- 22 small eggplant (about 200g)
- 1 cup190g basmati rice
- 11 onion
- 4 cloves4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 cup120g canned crushed tomato
- 4 tbsp56g pine nuts
- 4 tbsp60ml olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cup360ml chicken stock
- 4 tbsp60g plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
