SYRIA: Meat Stuffed Baby Eggplant (Sheikh al-Mahshi)

I broke some rules with this one. First, there were three different regional versions of sheikh al-mahshi I came across, all similar, but with slightly different sauces and spices. Rather than select one, I merged them based on ingredient availability and my family's taste preferences. Second, Syrian sheikh al-mahshi traditionally involves coring the eggplant, frying them whole, packing the stuffing into the (cored) holes, standing them vertically in a saucepan with the sauce, and simmering all on the stovetop. Thankfully, I found a few sites that had shortcut versions, including halving and stuffing the eggplant boats, and baking rather than frying and/or simmering them. So I took the shortcuts. Finally, these take an hour and 15 min start to finish. But as it's only about 15 minutes of active time, I decided to include this dish even though it does not meet the OWW 45-minute rule. The end result was healthy, flavorful and gobbled up by all... Sometimes breaking the rules pays!

Meat Stuffed Baby Eggplant (Sheikh al-Mahshi)

4-5 baby eggplant

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

1 medium yellow onion

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 lb ground lamb or beef (lamb is more traditional and what I used)

¼ toasted pine nuts

1 ~14-oz can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken or beef broth

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup whole milk yogurt, ideally Greek style

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of a half sheet pan.

• Rinse the eggplant and remove the stems from them. Slice them lengthwise. Using a paring knife, cut a grid pattern on the flesh side of the each eggplant half. Sprinkle the cut sides of the eggplant with salt and pepper, and place flesh-side down on the oiled pan. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

• While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Cut the onion into small dice and add to the oil. Sauté, stirring every minute or so, until the onion is translucent and starting to turn golden. If the onion starts to stick, add a tablespoon or two of water.

• Add the coriander, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, and nutmeg to the skillet. Sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.

• Add the salt and ground meat to the skillet, stirring until the meat gives off enough fat to keep the onions from sticking. Raise the heat to medium and sauté until the meat is cooked through. Add the pine nuts to the skillet, setting aside about a teaspoon to garnish the completed dish. Stir to incorporate and remove from heat. Taste for salt and pepper.

• In a baking dish a large enough to hold the eggplant in a single layer, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and ½ teaspoon table salt. Mix well.

• When the eggplant is done roasting, remove form oven, leaving the oven on at 350° F. Sprinkle the eggplant skins with salt and pepper. Flip the eggplant halves flesh side up and place in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce in the roasting pan. Using a spoon, press down on the flesh to make a well for the meat filling.

• Spoon a few tablespoons of the meat filling into each eggplant boat and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes. (You might have some leftover filling, depending on the size of your eggplants.)

• While the stuffed eggplants are roasting, put the yogurt, egg yolk, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over low heat. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan. Add half of the tablespoon of chopped mint to the sauce pan, if using, saving the other half for garnish. Simmer the yogurt sauce over low heat, whisking every minute or two, until thickened. Taste for salt.

• When the stuffed eggplants are done cooking, top each with a spoonful of the yogurt sauce. Garnish with the reserved pine nuts and mint, if using. Serve alongside the extra yogurt sauce. While this makes a complete dinner, you can serve it with Syrian rice cooked in vermicelli, long-grain white rice, or flatbread,

#ngomou #lambstew #mauritania

FUN FACTS:

• Syria's capital, Damascus, was founded around the third millennium BC and is the longest continually inhabited city in the world.

• The world’s oldest known library is located in Syria. Excavations in Ebla in the 1970s uncovered a royal archive dating back to around 2500 BC, with thousands of clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script, covering a range of topics, records, and diplomatic letters.

• Syrian storytellers, known as Hakawati, are traditional performers who are revered in Syrian culture. Before the current war, they entertained in restaurants and pubs, with stories that might continue on for an entire year!