Sheikh Al Mihshi (Stuffed Eggplant (Aubergine) )

Missy Wombat's Note:

A meat dish from the Lebanon, syria and Jordan area.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 12 small Japanese eggplants or 6 medium oval eggplants
• ¼ cup samnehclarified butter or ¼ cup oil

Meat filling

• 500 g finely ground lamb or 500 g ground beef
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion , finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ cup parsley , finely chopped
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

To finish

• 1 cup tomato puree
• salt and pepper
• water (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove stalks from the eggplants and remove peel in 1 cm intervals to give a striped effect.
2. Heat oil in a pan and brown the eggplants lightly on all sides.
3. Remove to a plate.
4. Add the mince, oil, onion and garlic to the frypan and fry, continuously stirring, until the juices evaporate.
5. Add the pinenuts, spices, parsley and salt and pepper.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Cut a deep slit along one side of the eggplant and fill with meat mixture.
8. Arrange in a baking dish and pour tomato puree on top.
9. Season with salt and pepper and bake in a moderately hot oven for 30 minutes, adding water to dish during cooking if necessary and basting the eggplants occasionally.

Reviews

[Minerva49]

I had to use larger eggplants so I increased the baking time and dribbled a small amount of water on the tomato puree on top of the eggplants to keep them moist. I used more of the spices than suggested but I still thought it was a bit bland. But my fiance liked it a lot, so I'll make it again, only next time I'll try using olive oil and a little more garlic.