Charred Lamb and Eggplant With Date-Yogurt Chutney

Name: Charred Lamb and Eggplant With Date-Yogurt Chutney
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: middle eastern
Ingredients: 3/4 cup plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped; 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling; 1 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch chunks; 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper; 1 pound eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 4 dates, pitted and finely chopped; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 3 tablespoons sliced almonds; Chopped fresh mint, for garnish

By Melissa Clark

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(190)
Notes: Read community notes

You can marinate the meat ahead of time or, in a pinch, make it while the eggplant roasts. Use half the marinade to slather the meat and to the rest, add almonds, dates and cilantro, and spread that over the finished cubes of eggplant. Then roast and broil the lamb to char the surface and keep the meat juicy and rare. Nice dinner!

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

¾cup plain yogurt
1teaspoon grated lemon zest
2½teaspoons lemon juice
2fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
8tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
1pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch chunks
1¾teaspoons kosher salt
1¼teaspoons black pepper
1pound eggplant, cut into ¾-inch cubes
4dates, pitted and finely chopped
¼cup chopped cilantro
3tablespoons sliced almonds
Chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic. Whisk in 5 tablespoons of the oil.
Step 2
Season the meat with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and transfer to a large, nonreactive bowl. Pour half the yogurt mixture over the meat and toss well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, tossing occasionally, until eggplant is golden brown and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. Whisk the dates and cilantro into the remaining yogurt mixture and toss with the warm eggplant.
Step 4
Adjust the oven to broil, with a rack 2 inches from the heat. Remove meat from marinade, wiping off any excess, and transfer to a large baking sheet. Drizzle lamb with a little oil. Broil until golden and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium rare. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast almonds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Step 6
Divide meat among serving plates and spoon eggplant next to the meat. Garnish with almonds and mint.

Ratings

5 out of 5

190 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Anita S.6 years ago

Wow. This is fantastic. My leg of lamb gave me about 1lb 11 oz and there was plenty of marinade. Also used parsley instead of cilantro. The flavors were perfect, with a lovely sweetness from the dates.

Danielle6 years ago

For me the eggplant yogurt date mixture was the star of the show! I agree with other reviewers that broiling was not the best way to cook the lamb. Although tender and flavorful from the marinade, it was overcooked and not crispy. I'd have rather grilled it (or used a grill pan). The eggplant mixture was amazing and I would serve that with any meat or veggie as a main dish! I added some salt and extra cilantro to it, and also added some of the toasted almonds to give it some texture.

gsc6 years ago

The first time I made this, broiling the lamb in the oven set off the fire alarm, and the lamb didn't even get charred.
The second time, we put the lamb on metal skewers and grilled it outside, and it was perfect. The flavors in this dish are terrific!

Leslie6 years ago

Delicious, especially the eggplant yogurt part. Be sure to follow the directions and really wipe off the marinade before you grill the lamb. I didn't and ended up with too much liquid and grey meat. I might in the future just marinate the meat in olive oil, garlic and lemon, as I usually cook lamb chops.

Claudio Mosse6 years ago

Really nice recipe. Served with warm pita and a nice Shiraz. Would probably cut my lamb into larger pieces next time and grill over charcoal. Seems like lamb takes to smoke so nicely which would do well with the sweet umami from the yogurt-eggplant.

lisa1 month ago

Didn’t have dates but had pomegranate and it was great!

Marissa1 month ago

This was incredible and I will be making it again. I added romanesco for extra veggies. I think it would be great with pomegranate seeds on top.

Laurel4 months ago

I used the air-fryer to cook the lamb, which worked fantastic. Only had fig jam to use instead of dates, and was a great substitute. Delicious yogurt eggplant mixture, and put the mixture and the lamb on top of naan bread.

Steven9 months ago

My Miele speed oven, which is normally awesome, did not allow the sheet pan to be close enough to the broiler to brown, so I bailed after two minutes and tossed the lamb onto a very hot cast iron w/a splash of olive oil. Fantastic. Loved it! Will try skewers and grill it next time.

RJ10 months ago

Simple to make and delicious.

Shelli2 years ago

The eggplant yogurt mixture is incredible! We decided to omit the lamb, and just have the eggplant yogurt mixture with whole dates and almonds. Definitely filling and beautiful on its own.

SuzeK.3 years ago

Yogurt mixture is amazing! I might have been a little more conservative with garlic, or minced it instead of chopping. Too strong with the eggplant mixture. Otherwise, perfect!!

magnamosa3 years ago

really enjoyed this unusual dish. grilled the lamb on the weber and wish i had marinated it just a bit longer. also by the time the lamb cooked, rested and was mixed with the eggplant the eggplant mix was cold. next time i'll get it all done at once so its still warm. made some brown rice (which hardly got eaten as we didn't need it) and served with homemade hummus and pita bread along with a salad of tomatoes, cukes and red onion. will make again for sure

Annie Wood3 years ago

Could you use cashew yogurt for this dish?

sarschwartz3 years ago

Used Trader Joe’s rib chops, cutting them into individual chops. Cooked chops hot and fast on grill. Used mini processor to chop garlic and combine yogurt and lemon zest and juice. Added both cilantro and mint to yogurt, date mixture. Serve with rice and green salad.

Liza3 years ago

This is very good. Next time though I'll skewer and grill the lamb while the eggplant is in the oven. My broiler stinks and the meat doesn't get enough of a char.

Ellen4 years ago

Made this tonight for 'social distancing' dinner w/friends. My husband grilled the lamb outside on the gas grill and it was a big hit. Delicious!

michele4 years ago

Any ideas on how to adjust this for lamb shoulder?

Peggy4 years ago

wonderful!

Gustav5 years ago

Absolutely delicious!

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