Sheikh al-Mahshi Eggplant with Rice

Ingredients

• Small eggplants for stuffing
• Fried pine nuts
• Vegetable oil
• Olive oil
• Tomato(s)
• Salt
• Finely chopped onion
• Finely minced meat
• Spices to taste
• For the sauce:
• Garlic
• Tomato sauce
• Finely chopped onion
• Chicken or beef stock cube - optional
• Water
• To make Eggplant Moussaka with Chickpeas, see: Eggplant Moussaka with Chickpeas
• Also from Nicole, learn how to make al-Maghribiya

Method

1. First, peel the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem intact and a few strips of skin on each eggplant.
2. Fry the eggplant in plenty of hot oil until golden, then drain.
3. Using a thin knife, make a lengthwise incision from the top only, being careful not to cut through the bottom.
4. Run a teaspoon into the slits to create space for the filling, or you can do this by hand.
5. Start making the filling: sauté the finely chopped onion in a little olive oil mixed with vegetable oil.
6. Add salt, then the finely minced meat, and cook until the meat is done.
7. Sprinkle the spices, stir, and remove the filling from the heat.
8. Prepare the sauce: in a blender, put a few cloves of garlic with 3 or 4 tomatoes, spices, tomato sauce, salt, and a little water and blend together to obtain a sauce with a thin, pourable consistency.
9. Sauté a little chopped onion in oil in a pot; when it softens, add the blended sauce on top of the onion. You can also add the stock cube at this stage.
10. Let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes.
    Timers: 20 min
11. Stuff the eggplants with the prepared meat filling and arrange them in a baking tray, then sprinkle the fried pine nuts over the filling inside the eggplants.
12. Pour the sauce, once ready, into the tray, being careful not to pour it directly over the eggplants so the filling doesn't come out.
13. Distribute tomato slices over the eggplants.
14. Put the tray in the oven for about 20 minutes at high heat or until the sauce thickens slightly.
    Timers: 20 min
15. Serve the Sheikh-style stuffed eggplant with plain white rice or rice with vermicelli.
16. Nicole Maawad
17. To make Eggplant Moussaka with Chickpeas, see: Eggplant Moussaka with Chickpeas
18. Also from Nicole, learn how to make al-Maghribiya