Did you make those Saucy Moroccan-Spiced Lentils yet? I hope so, because I have the perfect application for them. Let’s do this!
What are Moroccan Spices?
Some of the spices common in Moroccan cuisine are cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika, saffron, and turmeric. A blend called Ras El Hanout is also commonly used in Moroccan cooking. It includes spices such as anise, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and peppers. (source)
Find more info on how Moroccan spices are used here. And learn more about the history of Ras El Hanout, as well as a traditional recipe for this vibrant spice blend here.
This recipe requires 9 ingredients and comes together in about 1 hour!
Once your eggplants have browned, it’s time to top them with your Moroccan-spiced lentils. I also seasoned mine with a bit of vegan parmesan cheese and gluten-free bread crumbs for extra crunch, which I highly recommend!
For those stuffing the eggplant, simply bake until bubbling and golden brown and you have one saucy, satisfying dinner on your hands.
And for those slicing and rolling, your final product will look more like this!
In my opinion, the roll-ups are a prettier presentation that requires less cooking time. But the stuffed eggplants look like a seriously hearty entrée when plated. You can’t lose either way!
I hope you all LOVE this dish! It’s:
Hearty
Saucy
Smoky
Satisfying
Healthy
Versatile
& Delicious!
This is the perfect hearty entrée or side dish that would be especially perfect for hosting. It’s delicious on its own, but it would also pair well with my Garlicky Kale Salad and Crispy Chickpeas, Oil-Free Roasted Vegetables, 1-Pot Vegan Minestrone, and Sweet Potato and Avocado Green Salad. Also, my 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese or Whipped Almond Ricotta would make the perfect flavor addition!
If you give it a try, let us know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment, and be sure to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Moroccan Lentil-Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients
EGGPLANT
- 4 small eggplants
- 2 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (if avoiding oil, sub water)
- 1 pinch sea salt
LENTILS
- 1 batch Moroccan-Spiced Lentils
- 1 3/4 cups crushed tomatoes (crushed are best for flavor and texture // can sub diced or puréed tomatoes)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (plus more to taste)
TOPPING
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 Tbsp gluten-free panko bread crumbs (I like Ian’s brand panko bread crumbs)
FOR SERVING optional
- Fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
- White or brown rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and get out a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish.
- To a large saucepan or rimmed skillet, add Moroccan-Spiced Lentils, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor or paprika for smokiness.
- See notes if thinly slicing and rolling the eggplant. Otherwise, use a knife to cut an angled divot out of the center of your eggplants. Then use a spoon to scrape out a hollow center. Leave enough eggplant flesh so it's sturdy enough to hold the lentils (see photo). (Save leftover eggplant to make things like Eggplant Curry, Persian Eggplant Dip, or Baba Ganoush.)
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and the eggplant cut-side down and cover - you may have to do this in two (or more if increasing batch size) batches depending on the size of your pan. Cook on one side for 4-5 minutes or until slightly charred. Then flip the eggplant over on the other side, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes more. You're looking for the eggplant to be softened and browned on the outside.
- Once the eggplant is cooked, place cut-side up in your baking dish and top with lentils. There should be plenty to fill the eggplant and some overflow, which can be spooned down into the dish. Top with vegan parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and browned and the lentils are bubbling. The bread crumbs should be browned.
- Serve as is or over rice or cauliflower rice (optional). Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro (optional) for color and flavor.
- Best when fresh, though leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with oil and without rice.
*Stuffing method adapted from Cooking with Alia.
Karolyn Kritikos says
Tried this last night. Happened to be out of tomato paste so I added sun dried tomatoes I had asking to be used up and I really think it added something to it. I also roasted my veggies which feels like fall to me. I’m partial to French lentils which is what I had on hand and were perfection with this, but I could also see doing red lentils and blending it up for a creamy dip as an alternative to hummus. A dollop of Greek yogurt finished it off for us. This is going to be on rotation for sure. It’s so versatile. Salad topper, dip, in a wrap, as a vegan chili, or stuffing… it’s endless thanks for a great one.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Karolyn! Your modifications sound lovely too. Thanks so much for sharing!
Doreen says
This recipe is amazing! You have GOT to try it! Texture, flavour, aroma! Food of the gods!!!!
Re the aubergine, I scored the halves, salted and brushed each with 1 tsp olive oil. Baked face down at 400° for an hour. After half hour cooling, I turned them over and picked out diamonds of flesh instead of scooping with a spoon. Alright…I stood and ate those browned, heavenly diamonds! You will too!!!! Hahaha!
Re lentils, I cooked them with the finely diced onion, crushed garlic, turmeric and cayenne just because that’s the way I’ve done it for the last 45 years. Using what I had in the house, substituted brown for green lentils, red-wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar, honey for maple syrup, and Kashmiri Red Chilli for paprika. Combined sauce with lentils. It tasted a tad flat to me, so I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
For a side, I made Greek yoghurt with grated cucumber, raisins and walnuts, topped with freshly ground, toasted cumin seeds.
I will be eating this a lot!!!! And – OMG – it’s low carb, low fat, high fiber, incredible flavour, and good for you! Heart and soul, good for you!!!! ENJOY!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Doreen! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
L says
This is a culinary masterpiece! Comfort food without the sleepy hurtlocker at the end of the meal. :) Made the 30 minute Moroccan spiced lentil filling (to die for!). Chock full of nutrients for ultra-endurance type athletes and professionals. Will add this one into regular meal rotation – especially during racing season. Bravo!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pavi says
Hi can we do this without the broth, and with grafiti brinjal?
Hi there! Graffiti eggplants should be fine. As for broth, I’m not sure but let us know if you give it a try!
Lynne Halicki says
Which book is this in. I would like to purchase it.
Hi Lynne, this recipe is not in our cookbook, just on the blog.
Elisabeth Palatiello says
I made this last night and oh my goodness, it was so good! I woke up wishing there were leftovers. Alas, there are not as it was so good that every last rollup was consumed, even by my anti-eggplant children.
My question is…could I make and fully assemble the rollups and then freeze them? I would love to have a stash of these in my freezer.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Yay- we’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! We haven’t tried freezing before baking and aren’t sure whether it would work. Let us know if you try it!
stacey miller says
WOW! The Minimalist Baker just keeps making me look good with my family! This dish is not to be missed, it is delicious. I of course doubled the batch :) I also sautéed the onions and garlic as suggested at the end of the recipe for a more subtle flavor. Also I l o v e smoked paprika, another reason to love this recipe! thank you Dana!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stacey! xo
Mary says
Loved this recipe! lots of great flavour . I baked the eggplant before stuffing them and also used regular parmesan. My husband love it . Had the leftovers the next night and tasted just as good. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for another great recipe Dana.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Athena says
Loved this recipe. I made it a little different though since I also don’t cook with oil. Cut the eggplant in half, put diagonal slits in them, then only cook for 15 min. I used a casserole tray to slightly cook them with a little bit of water in the bottom then I covered them with the morrocan lentils and baked for another 15 min. Didn’t come out dry at all.
*Note this was filling enough for me just by itself, but the man in my life needed more so I also served it with rosemary garlic mashed potatoes.
Kirsty Hetherington says
So delicious! Newbie-vegan and not a very confident cook but it was loved by all. Used the stuffed rather than rolled eggplant option – planning on trying the rolled option for a dinner this week. Definitely making a batch of the lentils for freezer-easy cooking during the week. Thanks!
Susan says
Very flavorful dish! I did the roll up method so was a bit more work but totally worth it. Thanks for the recipe!
Astrid says
The lentils were so tasty but I’d suggest salting the eggplant for a while to draw some of the bitterness out of it! A great dish everyone enjoyed! Had it with a side of cauliflower rice and lemon garlic green beans :) will def make it again but I’ll try the salting and rolling :)
Emy says
I have just started really trying your recipes and wow they have so much flavour!
I made this today, I was a bit lazy and laid it out like a lasagne to make it easier for myself :) it’s delicious, I look forward to trying more!
So glad you enjoyed it, Emy! Thanks for the lovely review!
Mary says
This turned out so full of flavour. Did cook for close to 45 minutes. Husband loved it!
Thanks for sharing!
Sia says
What a great recipe, every step is easy to follow! Loved it and so happy I have leftovers for tomorrow. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sia. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Kostya says
Eggplant is one of our favorite in terms of cooking. There are plenty different receipts like pickled eggplant available in internet.
The only my concert is, how to make our kids like it?
In particular my kids hates it, except when it is fried with bread.
But we keep trying to show them that dishes with eggplant can be really delicious.
Clyde Lamarre says
Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based upon on the same information you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
Raeann M. Anderson says
Delicious recipe! I did find a way to shorten the process. I sliced the eggplants in half vertically, turned the cut-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Then I scooped out the cooked eggplant, filled the shells with the lentil mixture and proceeded with the rest of the recipe. Much faster and worked great!
annehkd says
I just made this and while the flavors were delicious, albeit a tad too sweet for us, the dish as a whole didn’t really come out great. I think the problem was the size of the eggplants we used. They weren’t big, but they were clearly too big for this recipe. I think it would help to add to the recipe that you should use smaller eggplants, or cut them in half and then scoop out the insides and also note how much to take out. I probably didn’t take out enough but I was afraid the eggplants would collapse in the oven.
I also agree with others who noted the timing and effort of making this dish as presented was a little misleading, when you add in the lentils. All in all, this recipe took me hours (mostly because the eggplants just weren’t cooking through). I finally had to cover the baking dish with foil and raise the temperature to 400 F to get them to cook through, and by then, we were too tired to eat much of it.
I do like your recipes, though, and will try others. Thank you!
Caterina says
So I get the lentils for this 4 pers stiffed eggplant recipe by doing the morrocan lentils recipe for 6 pers?
Hi Caterina! I’m not sure I understand the question. Do you mind clarifying? Thanks!
Caterina says
Oh I’m sorry. I want to follow your stuffed eggplants recipe for 4 persons. The recipe for 4 persons says you need 1 batch of Morrocan spiced lentils. If I follow the link to the recipe for the lentils it says it’s for 6 persons. So I get 1 batch of lentils if I follow the recipe for 6 persons? Even though I want to do the stuffed eggplants for four persons? I hope it’s clear now…
Ah I understand now! Make a batch of the Moroccan spiced lentils at that amount (6 servings) as this recipe requires that amount. Hope this helps!
Pam says
Hi Dana-A friend of mine served this and it was beyond delicious! I’m making it for tomorrow night. The recipe says best fresh. I’ve made the lentils and cooked the eggplants (not for rolls). Should I wait to assemble and final cook before dinner tomorrow night or go ahead and make it now and reward? Thanks!
You could go ahead and make them in advance and that will work, but both options would really work!
Alli says
So glad I used the Moroccan Lentils for this dish. I thought I’d done the lentils wrong, but as soon as I added the tomato … AMAZING! I didn’t add any paprika or oil and didn’t use any “cheese” or panko, just topped with loads of Fresh Coriander once the roasting was done. Just so, so yummy. Mmmm …. only problem is, I can’t stop eating it. It’s actually got a very Mediterranean feel to it. Absolute comfort food. A new favourite for sure. Thanks so much for the share. This will be perfect for dinner party starters.
Thanks for sharing your process, Alli! We are glad you enjoyed it :D
Jordy says
This looks delicious and I am planning to make it tonight :) Do you think I can use Fire Roasted tomatoes for this? Thank you!
Yes, that should work!
We haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but other subs that would work are diced or puréed tomatoes
Hi Jordy! We haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but other subs that would work are diced or puréed tomatoes
Erin says
I really want to make this but the page with the recipe for the spicy lentils won’t load! Is that recipe available elsewhere? Thanks very much.
Hi Erin! It should load properly now :)
John says
Great use of eggplant! A little bit *too* delicious, if anything!
Hah! I’d say that’s a good problem to have ;)
Lina says
Hi! I’ve made this recipe before and absolutely loved it but recently I’ve been tummy troubles and thus lentils/all beans, to be honest, are crossed out of my diet. Does anybody have any alternatives? I don’t eat meat either :/
John says
Maybe quinoa? Or a nice dirty-rice mixture? I’m sure there’s a grain out there somewhere that’ll do it. Should be easy to find something still très delicious, as the French would say.
Edward Edmundson says
You clever little devils. We’ve just found the new number of portions feature which will stop the two of us from eating four portions in one sitting, haha!
Hah! Glad you’re enjoying this dish, Edward :D
Carrie says
We made this recipe this past weekend and it was delicious! We paired it with the almond ricotta (which we made for the first time also) and it was such a good, creamy, cooling addition with the flavor of the Moroccan spices. We will definitely be making both again. We may try stuffing some bell peppers instead of eggplant, just to mix up the flavors and sometimes bells are easier to find than eggplant. We found this to be a recipe that actually gets even better over the next couple of days in the fridge as leftovers. The eggplant soaks up more of the Moroccan flavor and gets even more tender, so leftovers will be fought over, haha! (Note – I am saying “we” because my youngest is 16 and new vegan for going on 6 months now and your site has made a huge impact on guiding her to be able to find recipes that sound really good to her, vetting out the ingredients, making meals from scratch, and help her to be successful at maintaining this lifestyle. Looks like we’ve inspired our 21 year old college student too, as he has now been vegan for 2 months and this was his birthday dinner! Thank you so much for doing all the leg work and creating such amazing recipes. You are changing the world.)
Erica says
Wow! This was so good. I sautéed the pepper, onion and garlic for the lentils. I also used canned lentils, because they are super convenient. I think I’ll chop the extra eggplant and add it to the lentils next time. Yum! Thanks for the great recipe.
Leana says
Full of flavors and so satisfying, love it❤️❤️
Msk says
I have a question. the Saucy Moroccan Spiced Lentils recipe includes Tomato Paste and paprika. Is it necessary to add additional canned tomatoes and a touch more spice for the stuffed eggplant? The consistency of the lentils was already perfect for stuffing the eggplant…..i was concerned about it being too saucy with added liquid.
Moroccan flavors were great and it was delicious w/o added tomatoes and extra paprika and I do prepare Moroccan cuisine often!
Shelby says
Just finished my plate. This was delicious and one of my favorite recipes of yours! I made it in the style of the main picture instead of doing the rollups. It was easier. The flavors were awesome and all blended soooooooo good. I ate it with jasmine rice.
10/10 will repeat….and repeat…..and repeat.
I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.
Thanks!
Morgan says
Made this last night. It’s a lovely recipe and makes for an impressive presentation. My husband and I really enjoyed the Morrocan lentils. What a fun spice mix. The sweetness from the maple syrup was a welcome surprise. However, we weren’t crazy about the eggplant. I prepared it exactly as written. It browned and became tender while in the oil and it cooked nicely in the oven, but once plated it dumped its water content onto our plates. Also, the eggplant itself was bland. I figured the lentils spices would sink into it during cooking, but it didn’t. We ate the lentils, but left most of the sad, spongy eggplant uneaten. Perhaps we should add salt to the eggplant before filling it? Or perhaps I’m just not a fan of eggplants. Not sure. I’ve always been underwhelmed when I try them. My MIL gave me a couple, so I had to try something besides eggplant parm. Also, I was hoping for the beautiful, bright red color seen in your photos, but my lentils were much more pale. Alas, my tummy doesn’t care what color things are! Overall, I like the lentils and will definitely make them again. I will be trying more of your recipes. Thanks!
Stacey says
Yummy!!! Eating this now and it’s so warm and filling. Thanks for the recipe Dana
Michelle says
I thought this was a nice change – very comforting and good for a rainy day. We had it with a few slices of fresh baguette. The store only had large-ish eggplants, so I bought three and this filled about two of them. I think next time I might try squeezing some lemon over it; it felt like it was missing a little something. Also, when you have to make the lentils, this recipe definitely takes more than an hour.
Kim Bo says
I have just finished making and eating this – sooooo delicious. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers with a green salad for lunch tomorrow. You’ve just made Monday a day to look forward to :)
Amy says
Eggplants cooking in the oven now… smells soo tasty! Thanks for the recipe xxx
Amy says
Was every bit as good as it smelled :)
Natalie says
I made the stuffed eggplant version a few weeks ago for meal prep for the week. I just sliced the eggplants in half and took out some of the inside. Another delicious recipe!
Hannah says
Do you think it would be weird to use Rao’s roasted eggplant sauce in place of the crushed tomatoes? It’s what I have in the fridge but not sure if the italian seasonings would clash with the moroccan… still working on that chef’s intuition :) Thanks!
We haven’t tried it and can’t say for sure! If you do, report back on how it goes!
Shannon says
Amazingly good. Great flavor, and different from normal spaghetti/red sauce type stuffing. We loved this! I didn’t realize the lentils were a separate recipe, so I was stressed that I wouldn’t have the right stuff on hand but I did. Used jarred roasted red peppers and cooked the lentils while I prepped the eggplant. I cut the eggplant in half, scooped out some flesh, the stuffed those. There was enough for 6 halves, or maybe even 8 halves if you didn’t want them over stuffed. Really, really delicious.
Elizabeth says
This is one of my favorite recipes ever! I love eggplant and the lentils are such a good combo, never thought to try them together. I just wanted to let you know that I looove all your recipes! This is my favorite website for recipes and I can’t believe I didn’t realize until today that you have cookbooks! I cook your recipes for my family all the time and everyone always love them. You have made being a vegan easy for my family and I. You are an inspiration to me!
Daniel D says
Except this recipe requires you spend an additional half hour making another recipe with over a dozem ingredients; not as advertised.
mandy says
The recipe does not state what temperature to bake the eggplant stuffed lentils at .
Please clarify – thank you
Cassie Autumn says
Eggplant has been an ingredient I NEED to start cooking more often! It’s my favorite to use for dinner and to pair with tomatoes, beans, and heaps of spices! This stuffed eggplant looks absolutely perfect, especially with the vegan Parmesan on top!
Jayne says
This is really, really, really good. Thank you!
Thanks, Jayne! xo
Cynthia says
Hi Dana –
I found you blog and have been exploring the Minimalist Baker for days! I’m learning so much about your cooking and vegan etc.
I decided to make the Moroccan Eggplant recipe, but have had techical difficulties with the eggplants (they were all rotten inside!). So, I will only be presenting the Moroccan Lentils, which turned out fantastic! I’ve never cooked Moroccan, have never used so many spices, and totally trusted your suggestions about amouts. So thanks Dana!
My question (for tomorrow) is – does your Moroccan Lentil recipe appear in any of your cookbooks?
Thanks – and I’ll share more about my adventure later! Cynthia
It does not! Just a blog recipe. Sorry the eggplants weren’t fresh. That’s always a bummer!
Rachel says
My daughter can’t tolerate onions- do you think the lentils would turn out okay without them?
Hi Rachel! That should be fine!
Liza says
Oh dear, I don’t seem to be able to follow a recipe correctly. I jumped in the deep end and tried the rolled up aubergine method… I must have set the mandolin too narrow as my slices stuck to the tray and I had to scrape them off. They were also extremely salty even though I rinsed and dried them. Oh well, I layed them in the sauce and theyre now baking again… Sauce tastes good! Will try again another day.
Monica says
This was really tasty! My grocery store only had one huge eggplant so I boiled a few lasagna noodles and rolled them with the lentils and placed them along with the eggplant rolls. I think the lentils would be amazing stuffed inside giant pasta shells or wrapped in steamed cabbage leaves. I will definitely be trying my own variations!
Bret Johnson says
This came out great! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Bret!
alyse says
My husband and I made this for dinner. It was quite good, but not great… I think it was the first recipe of yours we’ve tried and didn’t 100% love. We doubled the sauce on the lentils as they just didn’t have enough flavor at first. I’m super glad we did because the eggplants diluted the flavor in the lentils a bit. I really liked the cooking method on the eggplant with putting them in the pan first. It was really successful and something I’ll probably use again for other dishes. It also took way longer than 1hr to prepare. All in all, we had a good meal and are glad we tried it, but probably won’t make it again.
Melanie Savio says
Ok, this is seriously delicious! Definitely will go in my “keep” file!
Thanks, Melanie!
Erin Woodward says
This was OUTSTANDING!!! I used black beans instead of lentils and sprinkled some nutritional yeast for the vegan parm. So so very good. Can’ wait to eat leftovers tomorrow! Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
Thanks Erin!!
Nina says
This looks delicious! I can’t wait for eggplant to come back in season so we can try it! In the summer we always get loads of them from our farm share – this will be a great way to use them. Thanks!!
Diala says
Dana this looks insanely good! I have eluda lentils at home and will be making it this week.
Thanks for sharing
Xo
M says
Hi Dana, I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. My partner said it was the tastiest thing I ever made! I only found your website about 3 months ago but it is now my go to for new vegan recipes. I tell all my friends about the minimalist baker! Thank you so much I look forward to your 2018 recipes x
Ah, thanks M! xo
Jessica says
This is a great recipe and I can’t wait to try it! I truly love all your recipes and appreciate all the work that you do. I just wanted to point out that it is a little misleading to write that the recipe only requires 9 ingredients, when in reality it has 22-26 ingredients. I know it’s a marketing tactic, but don’t think it’s fair to count the lentils as 1 ingredient when it is a homemade component that actually requires a long list of ingredients. This is not a criticism, just friendly feedback as an avid follower to perhaps be more transparent in the description-it is definitely a let-down when I think I’ll only have to purchase a few ingredients but in reality it is a much longer list. I truly do love your blog and hope you don’t take this the wrong way!
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate that. I separated the recipes to make it simpler for people, hoping / assuming they had the lentils (or lentils in some form) as leftovers. But I appreciate the feedback!
Storm says
I was just coming here to write the same thing! I love your recipes Dana but saying this just requires 9 ingredients is misleading! :(
Lauren says
Totally agree!!!
Mads says
Have u tried Mung Dahl. That’s aparently the type of dahl thats the easiest on the tummy. And soaking it overnight and rinsing it will also helo with gaseous consequences. When you cook it, you wil see a bit of foam forming on top. You can scoop it off, that also causes gas.
Cathy says
T
m kearley says
We love lentils in any form. Every recipe of yours we have tried, has been delicious. I am a fairly new vegan and appreciate how easy your recipes are, not to mention tasty. And simple ingredients. Thank you again.
Maggie K.
Thanks so much!
Anita says
Hi Dana,
Lentils don’t like me.. What is a good substitute? Could I use chick peas or white beans?
Anita
Yeah probably chickpeas!