Eggplant with Ground Beef & Yogurt Sauce

I haven't eaten too many eggplants this summer and to rectify that, I've lined up a couple eggplant heavy dishes to cook this week. First up is this simple roasted eggplant with a crispy beef topping and a garlicky yogurt sauce (that I could honestly eat on its own).
I decided to top my eggplants with some cherry tomatoes that are so incredibly sweet & crunchy that I feel like I've been spoilt for cherry tomatoes forever now. These are called mini charm cherry tomatoes and I got them from Good Eggs, a bay area direct farmer grocery delivery service I frequently use.

The recipe came together pretty quickly since it was easy to multi task while the eggplants were roasting in the oven. With how little work that was put in, it tastes far more delicious than that! The eggplant gets all silky and contrasts well with the crispy beef topping. The cherry tomatoes provide a nice burst of sweetness and the garlicky salty yogurt sauce balances it all out.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
2 globe eggplants, about 1 lb each (total 2 lbs)
1 cup greek yogurt
1.5 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling- devoted use
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced - divided use
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 cup super tiny cherry tomatoes (halve the tomatoes if they are not tiny)

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Trim the eggplant tops and poke them with a paring knife in various spots. Cut them in half lengthwise and using a paring knife, score in a cross hatch pattern (picture above) about 1 inch deep. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the eggplants and using a pastry brush, rub it all over. Salt the eggplant well on all sides and lay them cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for about 25 minutes till the underside is a nice brown. Using a flat spatula, flip them over, scraping the eggplant well without breaking them. Roast for 15-25 minutes more till the eggplant is cooked through and the flesh has slightly collapsed onto itself. Let cool on a wire rack.
While the eggplant is roasting, mix greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 minced garlic clove in a small bowl and set aside. In a 12 inch cast iron pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat and once hot, cook the onions for about 5 minutes till they start turning brown. Add minced garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground cumin and cook till the garlic is brown. Add ground beef and working quickly, break the meat into small chunks and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring often at the end till the beef is cooked through and crispy in spots. Take the pan off heat. To plate, divide the yogurt sauce on four plates. Lay an eggplant piece on the plate and top it with ground beef. Garnish with parsley and cherry tomatoes and serve!