Serves 6 people

Preparation time   30 minutes
Sitting time            30 minutes
Cooking time        50 minutes

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley
a few leaves of mint
2 onions
1kg of minced beef
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
a pinch of cayenne
1.5kg aubergines
3 tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons flour
salt
additional oil for frying aubergines

Wash and chop the parsley and mint finely. Slice one of the onions finely and chop the other onion finely. Mix the minced beef with the cumin, the paprika and cayenne, half the parsley and mint and the chopped onion. Salt. Knead the meat well and leave to sit for 30 minutes.

Slice the auberginess thinly lengthwise and sprinkly with salt to release the bitterness. Leave for 30 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes. Place in the tagine with the olive oil and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes and then add the sliced onions, minced garlic and the rest of the parsley and garlic and continue cooking for 10 minutes, covered.

Make the meatballs and put in the tajine and cook covered for about 30 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, wash and dry the aubergine and sprinkle with flour and fry in hot oil in a pan till brown and cooked. Drain the aubergines and lay around the edge of a warmed serving platter or a warmed serving tajine and place the meatballs and sauce in the centre. The aubergine really enhances the taste of the meatballs.

This dish goes well with steamed potatoes.