Oriental minced meat pan with peppers and eggplant

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g minced beef
• 1 large onion(s)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cm ginger, thumb thick
• 4 tsp, heaped Ras el Hanout (North African/Moroccan spice blend)
• 1 large eggplant(s)
• 2 peppers
• 1 class can/n tomatoes, chopped
• some water
• 2 tbsp, heaped tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
• e.g. salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

First, dice the eggplant, place it in a sieve, season well with salt, and set aside to remove any bitter flavors. Roughly dice the onion and bell pepper, and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Place a large, non-stick cooking pot over high heat. Once it’s hot, melt the ghee in it and sear the minced meat. Reduce the heat slightly, add the onions until they are slightly translucent, then season with salt and pepper, add the ras el hanout, garlic, and ginger, and roast for 1 minute. Drain the eggplant well and add it to the pot with the bell peppers. Stir well, deglaze with the chopped tomatoes, and add a little water. I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the can of tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste, put the lid on, and cook at 1/3 of the maximum temperature for 45 minutes. Then remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes at the same temperature until the sauce thickens. This is a great time to prepare a side dish like basmati rice, bulgur or potatoes.