Eggplant Manzaleh
This Syrian Eggplant Manzaleh recipe is based mainly on small eggplants that are partially peeled, slit, lightly fried, and filled with a meat-and-onion stuffing. They are arranged in a baking tray with a tomato sauce seasoned with seven-spice blend, black pepper, ginger, and salt, with optional tomatoes and green peppers. The tray is baked at 200 degrees for about twenty minutes, then browned on top. Ghee is added at the end, with an optional sprinkling of pine nuts for serving. As the chef notes, the original dish is usually made without tomatoes, but this version includes them as an optional addition.
A Syrian-style eggplant dish or casserole.
Similar to an eggplant stew or baked eggplant casserole.
Ingredients
- 1½ kilograms Eggplant
- to taste Ground meat
- 4 pieces 4 tomatoes
- Green pepper
- ½ teaspoon Seven-spice blend
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- Pine nuts
- Onion
- a little Oil
- Water
Instructions
- In the kitchen, prepare the meat stuffing in advance by frying the meat with onion in a pan, along with your preferred spices and a little salt and pepper; add pine nuts if desired.
- In the kitchen, peel the eggplants in stripes, leaving some of the skin on; do not remove all the peel.
- On a cutting board, using a knife, slit each eggplant only through the middle, without reaching either end and without opening it completely.
- In a pan, add a little oil and lightly fry the eggplants only on the outside, turning them until evenly colored on all sides.
- On a cutting board, using a knife, hollow out the tomatoes if using them for stuffing, reserving the pulp to add to the sauce.
- In a pan, lightly fry the hollowed tomatoes if using them.
- In a pan, lightly fry the green peppers if using them.
- In a prep bowl, prepare the tomato sauce using chopped tomatoes or fresh peeled tomatoes blended in a blender, then add salt, black pepper, seven-spice blend, and ginger.
- On the work surface, open the slit in each eggplant after frying and fill it with the meat stuffing.
- In a baking tray, arrange the stuffed eggplants side by side.
- In a baking tray, add the tomato sauce around the stuffed eggplants.
- In a baking tray, arrange the stuffed tomatoes in the corners if using them.
- In the oven, cook the tray at a temperature of 200, with heat on from above and below.
- In the oven, leave the tray at first until it firms up, then raise it slightly higher to lightly brown the top.
- After about twenty minutes in the oven, distribute the tablespoon of ghee over the top of the dish.
- In the oven, return the tray briefly to brown the top after adding the ghee.
- When serving, sprinkle pine nuts over the top of the dish if desired, and serve hot.