Split stuffed aubergines ingredients 4 medium aubergines 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 onion, finely chopped 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped tsp pul biber (Turkish paprika) tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp ground cinnamon 500g minced lamb 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste 50g pine nuts Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped 175ml water 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1 pomegranate seeds these recipes are taken from Venice to istanbulby rick stein, with photography by James murphy (BBc Books, 25) 1 Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Cut the aubergines in half, lengthways, and arrange in a roasting tin, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 25minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C/gas mark 4. 2 Start to make the filling while the aubergines are cooking. Fry the onion and garlic, in three tablespoons of theolive oil, over a medium heat for three to five minutes until softened. Mix the paprika, pul biber, cumin seeds and ground cinnamon together,and add two-thirds of this mixture tothe pan, together with the chilli flakes. 3 Fry for one to two minutes, then increase the heat and add the lamb. Cook until browned, then add the chopped tomatoes, one tablespoon oftomato paste, the pine nuts and halfof the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 4 When the aubergines are ready, remove from the oven and carefully slit the flesh lengthways, without cutting all the way through the skin. Top each half with an eighth of the lamb mixture. 5 In a bowl, mix the water with the remaining spice mix, olive oil (two tablespoons), tomato paste (one tablespoon) and the pomegranate molasses. Add this liquid to the roasting tin around the aubergines, cover the whole with foil and bake for5060 minutes, until the aubergines are soft and the juices in the pan are syrupy. 6 Serve the aubergines drizzled with the pan juices and scattered with the pomegranate seeds and the rest of theparsley