Special Makdous Eggplant Fatteh

Ingredients

• Toasted or fried bread, cut into cubes
• Small eggplants
• Plain yogurt
• Tahini
• Crushed garlic
• Lemon to taste
• Salt to taste
• Seven-spice (baharat)
• Minced meat
• Peeled tomatoes
• Onion
• Pine nuts for garnish — optional
• Parsley for garnish
• rana sbite baze
• To make classic eggplant mutabbal as well, click Classic Eggplant Mutabbal
• For more special recipes, see Shrimp Stew

Method

1. Cut the eggplants lengthwise in half or make a lengthwise slit without cutting them through; each eggplant should remain intact so you can stuff it in the slit later.
2. Deep-fry the small eggplants in plenty of oil, then remove them and set them aside to drain.
3. Start preparing the filling: sauté the finely chopped onion in a little oil in a skillet until it softens.
4. Add the ground meat to the onion and cook, stirring, until the meat is done.
5. Add salt and seven-spice, stir, then turn off the heat and let the filling cool.
6. In a second pan, sauté onion wedges in a little oil until soft, then add peeled, finely chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften.
7. Stuff the eggplants with the prepared filling into the slits, then place them over the onion-tomato sauce and let them simmer together briefly until the sauce thickens.
8. Prepare the yogurt sauce by mixing or whisking the yogurt with tahini, crushed garlic, salt, and a squeeze of lemon.
9. Prepare the serving dish or a Pyrex: place a layer of the tomato sauce, then a layer of fried or toasted bread, then spread the yogurt sauce over the bread.
10. Arrange the eggplants on top of the yogurt.
11. Finally, sprinkle fried pine nuts over the eggplant fatteh and garnish with chopped parsley.
12. Serve the fatteh immediately before the bread absorbs too much liquid.
13. Rana Sbite Baze
14. To make traditional eggplant mutabbal, click: Traditional Eggplant Mutabbal