A 15-to-18-minute simmer gives the tomatoes time to reduce around the onion before the rice and lentils go in. The mixture should look thick enough to sit on a spoon, not slide off it; excess liquid will collect in the eggplant shells and make the base soft. The five-minute rest after baking gives the filling a moment to settle before serving.
Main DishesRice & Lentil-Stuffed Eggplants
Roasted eggplant halves hold a soft filling of brown rice, lentils, tomato and cottage cheese, with walnuts for crunch and parsley at the finish. The rice makes it substantial, while the lentils give the filling more shape than a mound of starch. Recipe from our good friend Jamie Oliver.
Ingredients
Preparation Steps
Cook the rice
Cook the Brown Rice in a covered saucepan over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until the grains are tender and the cooking liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
Roast the eggplants
Heat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C fan. Halve the Eggplants lengthways, score the cut sides deeply, and place them cut-side down in a baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes, until the flesh yields easily when pressed with a spoon.
Make the filling
Simmer the onion and Chopped Tomatoes in a wide pan over low-medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is tender and the tomatoes are thick. Stir in the Cooked Green Lentils, Brown Rice, and half the Chopped Parsley; cook for 3 minutes, until hot throughout. Fold in half the Walnuts.
Fill and bake
Turn the Eggplants cut-side up and scoop out most of the softened flesh, leaving a sturdy border. Chop the scooped flesh and stir it into the lentil mixture, then divide the filling between the eggplant shells. Dot with Cottage Cheese and scatter over the remaining Walnuts.
Finish the dish
Bake for 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the Cottage Cheese has lightly coloured at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with the remaining Chopped Parsley before serving.
Recipe insights
Tomato reduction controls the filling
A dairy-free topping option
Firm tofu can replace the 300 g of cottage cheese when a plant-based version is needed. Crumble it over the filled eggplants in the same way, then bake as directed—if Jamie Oliver were anywhere near this recipe, he’d likely act like you’d swapped the kitchen for a sewer. The lentils, brown rice and walnuts remain unchanged, so the filling keeps its varied texture.
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