Ingredients

Method

1. 1

   Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper. Place them in a large pan along with the whole eggplant and the head of garlic.

2. 2

   Place the pan with the vegetables on a stovetop over medium heat. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Cover and let the vegetables grill and soften.

3. 3

   Once the vegetables are soft and charred, remove them from the pan. Peel the skins off the eggplant, garlic, and bell pepper if desired. Finely chop all the grilled vegetables together on a cutting board.

4. 4

   In a large pot or pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Stir in the chili paste and tomato paste. Season with black pepper and salt.

5. 5

   Add the chopped grilled vegetable mixture to the pot with the tomato paste sauce. Stir to combine.

6. 6

   Pour in the water, stir well, and let the sauce simmer.

7. 7

   In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, chopped red bell pepper, parsley, and chili peppers. Add salt. Process until finely minced.

8. 8

   Transfer the minced vegetable mixture to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press down to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the liquid and set the solid vegetable mixture aside.

9. 9

   In a large bowl with the ground meat, add the seven spice blend, black pepper, turmeric, paprika, and chili flakes.

10. 10

    Add the strained, solid vegetable mixture to the ground meat.

11. 11

    Using your hands, thoroughly mix the meat, spices, and vegetables together until well combined.

12. 12

    Take a portion of the meat mixture and shape it into a small, oblong kebab. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

13. 13

    Lightly grill or pan-sear the kebabs until they are browned on the outside. They do not need to be cooked through.

14. 14

    Spread a layer of the vegetable sauce in the bottom of a clay baking dish (or any oven-safe dish).

15. 15

    Arrange the seared kebabs in a circular pattern on top of the sauce.

16. 16

    Bake in a preheated oven until the kebabs are fully cooked and the sauce is bubbling. (Note: Temperature and time not specified, a moderate oven of 180°C/350°F for 20-25 minutes is a reasonable estimate).

17. 17

    Garnish the finished dish with fresh dill and parsley. Serve hot with a side of rice.