Melbessa — Eggplant Stuffed and Wrapped in Kibbeh

Ingredients

• 1 kg small long eggplants
• ½ kg ground meat
• 2 medium red onions, chopped
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ kg tomatoes, diced
• Salt
• Allspice
• Cinnamon
• Hot pepper to taste
• Ghee or butter
• Kibbeh dough:
• 2½ cups fine bulgur
• ½ kg meat
• Onion (dry)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons kibbeh spice mix
• Ice cubes
• Some of:
• Mint leaves
• Basil
• Red or green hot pepper
• Dried marjoram
• Green onion
• For more eggplant recipes see: Eggplant moussaka with chickpeas

Method

1. Peel the eggplant lengthwise, leaving a little skin between the peeled strips; leave the stems intact.
2. Fry the eggplants in ghee until they take on color, then place them on a sieve or kitchen paper to drain.
3. Prepare the filling: sauté the ground meat in ghee with the finely chopped onion, add the fried pine nuts, salt and spices, and stir.
4. Make a lengthwise slit in each eggplant and stuff each with part of the filling.
5. Use the remaining filling to make the tomato sauce: add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes to the filling, cook and stir, then simmer until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens slightly.
6. To prepare the kibbeh dough: wash the bulgur several times, then moisten it with a little cold water and leave for 30 minutes.
   Timers: 30 min
7. Use a kibbeh grinder. Fit the disc with very small holes and place a bowl under the grinder. Grind the bulgur, then add the meat with a few ice cubes and the onion. The ice cubes during grinding help the mixture bind and give the kibbeh a soft texture.
8. Grind the kibbeh mixture a second time to make it smooth.
9. Mash the kibbeh dough well after grinding, add the salt, spices and the rest of the finely chopped ingredients, and mix by hand until the kibbeh dough is well combined. You can also use a mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed instead of hand kneading.
10. Prepare a small bowl with very cold water and ice to help shape the kibbeh.
11. Wet your hands with a little cold water, take a small amount of kibbeh dough and form a ball.
12. Insert your finger into the center of the ball and shape the dough around it to create a cavity. Wet your hands as needed. The kibbeh shell should be as thin as possible.
13. Place a stuffed eggplant into the cavity so the eggplant is wrapped by a kibbeh layer.
14. Arrange the pieces on a baking tray or in a Pyrex dish.
15. Bake in a moderate oven until the kibbeh is cooked through and browned.
16. Serve the melbessa hot with rice and the tomato sauce you prepared.