First, preheat the oven to 180˚C / 360˚F.

Prepare your eggplants by peeling 4 strips from the skin lengthways. Chop off the very tops and bottoms then slice through the middle lengthways (but not all the way). Pull apart to expose the inside and get ready to fry.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan and add your eggplants. Cover with a lid and fry on medium heat, around 15 minutes or until softened, turning occasionally so they don’t burn. Note: The inside of the eggplant will turn darker and more transparent as it starts to soften.

Pop your beef mince in a separate saucepan over a medium heat (or you can wait and cook it in the same frying pan). Allow it to cook down in its own juices for around 5 minutes stirring frequently until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is nicely browned.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil, chopped onion, garlic and capsicum/peppers. Continue to fry for a few minutes or until the vegetables are soft, then add the tomatoes and cook down for another 5 minutes.

Add the parsley, chilli flakes, sweet paprika, cumin, cinnamon and optional salt and pepper and stir through evenly.

Arrange the eggplants in a large baking dish belly side up, then stuff with the beef mixture. If you have any meat leftover, you can either pop this around the outside of the eggplants, or serve separately.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, and be sure to serve hot!

Garnish each eggplant with a few extra long green peppers, slices of capsicum or tomato before serving.