Make the Baba Ganoush

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the eggplants in half and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a good pinch of salt over the cut surface and rub in. Place cut side down on the parchment paper and cook for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before handling.

Flip the eggplants and scrape off any excess seeds (I do not remove all of the seeds, but there is generally a chunk of seeds with little flesh right in the middle that I remove). Scrape the flesh away from the skin and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the tahini, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest & juice, mint, ground cumin, paprika, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Kofta Balls

In a medium bowl, add onion, garlic, lemon zest & juice, mint, oregano, ground cumin, coriander, ground cinnamon, paprika, allspice, sumac (if using), and cayenne pepper. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together with a spoon until the spices are evenly distributed. Add in the ground beef or lamb and mix the ingredients by hand until the meat is thoroughly incorporated. Roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter ~ you should be able to roll 16 meatballs.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, carefully swirl the oil to coat the surface. Add the meatballs and cook for 4 minutes. Flip over and cover, cooking an additional 4 minutes.

Plate

Smear a fourth of the baba ganoush onto a plate or wide bowl. Place the kofka balls on top. Dish the pearl couscous and shepherd’s salad into the bowl and top, as desired, with tzatziki sauce.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!