Middle Eastern · Dinner
Layered Eggplant and Rice Bake (Low-Calorie)
Layers of roasted eggplant, spiced ground chicken, and basmati rice baked with tomato and a thin yogurt topping instead of cream sauce. Cumin, cinnamon, and allspice season the meat; a light broil finishes the top. Served warm as a lighter take on the classic Middle Eastern eggplant rice bake.
$4
20 minsPrep
40 minsCook
60 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
389Calories
30.8gProtein
16.3gFat
33.4gCarbs
10gSugar
7.2gFiber
418mgSodium
114mgChol
4.7gSat Fat
1005mgPotassium
145mgCalcium
3.2mgIron
0.5mcgVitamin B12
11mgVitamin C
low-calorie
high-fiber
low-calorie
Instructions
1
Prep
Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds, brush lightly with olive oil, season with salt, and place on a baking sheet.
2
Roast
Bake eggplant at 400°F (200°C) for 18–20 minutes, flipping once, until soft and lightly browned at edges.
3
Sauté
Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; sauté finely chopped onion and minced garlic for 3–4 minutes until translucent.
4
Brown
Add ground chicken and cook over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, breaking it apart, until no pink remains and it browns lightly.
5
Simmer
Stir in cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and crushed tomatoes; simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
6
Build
Layer half the roasted eggplant, then rice, then chicken mixture, finishing with remaining eggplant on top.
7
Bake
Bake uncovered at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes until heated through and edges bubble gently.
8
Finish
Spoon thinned yogurt over top and scatter with chopped parsley just before serving.
9
Plate
Transfer the bake to a plate and serve warm.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 12 oz447g ground chicken
- 22 small eggplant, about 7 oz (200g)
- 1 cup180g cooked basmati rice
- 2/3 cup80g, a third of a 14.5 oz can canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup120g plain yogurt, thinned with a splash of water
- 11 onion
- 2 clove2 clove garlic
- 1 tsp1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing eggplant
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp2 tbsp parsley
