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a bowl of basmati rice with browned ground beef and red onion, roasted eggplant cubes with dark purple skin, halved cherry tomatoes and a spoonful of thick cucumber-dill yogurt
Melissa Hart

Greek Ground Beef Bowls with Eggplant

Roasting the eggplant gives this bowl a soft vegetable layer with browned edges, which plays well against warm oregano beef and cool cucumber yogurt. Don't bury the eggplant under the sauce while you're portioning the bowls; leave some pieces uncovered so their roasted surface survives the trip to the table. The rice stays plain and separate, letting the lemony yogurt do the brightening instead of cooking lemon juice into every grain or covering the dinner with feta.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium eggplant about 1 lb, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup basmati rice rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 English cucumber coarsely grated and squeezed dry
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss eggplant with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper on a sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until browned and soft.
  2. Bring rice, water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes; rest off heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix yogurt, squeezed cucumber, lemon juice, dill and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until serving.
  4. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the beef into small crumbles, until browned and 160°F.
  5. Add garlic, oregano and cinnamon and stir for 1 minute. Fold half the roasted eggplant into the beef, leaving the rest for the bowls.
  6. Divide rice among four bowls and add beef, the remaining eggplant and cherry tomatoes. Spoon cucumber yogurt over part of each portion and serve.