Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich’s recipe for stuffed aubergine boats

Stuffed aubergine boats. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer

Serves 4 as a main or 8 as part of a larger spread of dishes
For roasting the boats
aubergines 4 small
olive oil 4 tbsp
garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper a generous sprinkling each

For the filling
onion 1 large (about 140g), peeled and finely diced
olive oil 3 tbsp
minced lamb 400g
salt 1 tsp
baharat spice mix 1 tbsp – you can use ready-made baharat or Lebanese seven-spice mix, which can be found in supermarkets
ground cinnamon 1 tsp
ground turmeric ½ tsp
tomato puree 2 tsp