Hama-Style Batrash
Hama-style grilled and peeled eggplant, topped with a seasoned yogurt sauce flavored with garlic, lemon, and tahini, then finished with lamb cooked with sheep tail fat, tomato paste, tomatoes, and spices until thickened. Garnished with parsley and almonds, it is served hot with tanoor bread or country-style bread.
A Syrian dish called batrash, prepared in a Hama-style version.
Similar to a regional mezze or vegetable-based side dish.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Eggplant
- 400 grams Very finely ground local lamb
- 100 grams Sheep tail fat
- 3 cloves Garlic
- a heaping large tablespoon Tomato paste
- half a tablespoon Salt
- quarter tablespoon Black pepper
- a pinch Ground cinnamon
- a pinch Nutmeg
- 5 pieces Peeled and chopped local red, tart tomatoes
- 1 piece Parchment paper
- 800 grams Local yogurt
- 4 cloves Garlic
- from 1 lemon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Tahini
- for serving Parsley
- for garnish Almonds
- for serving Tanoor bread
- for serving Green chili peppers
- 1 sheet to cover the pot Butter or parchment paper
- mentioned with serving Local ghee
- mentioned with the yogurt in the spoken description Ashta (clotted cream)
- mentioned verbally Authentic Iraqi tahini
- for serving Parsley
- for serving Almonds
- for serving Green chili peppers
Instructions
- Grill the eggplants on an oven rack or on trivets over the gas flame at the highest heat from above and below, until soft and browned.
- Split the grilled eggplants open with a knife, then carefully peel them while hot or warm so the skin comes away easily.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the frying pan or pot to cover the sauce mixture and prevent it from drying out completely while keeping the steam on the outside.
- Heat the frying pan over high heat, then add 400 grams of very finely ground local lamb with 100 grams of sheep tail fat, adding the tail fat first so its fat melts.
- Add 3 crushed garlic cloves to the pan with the meat and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add a heaping large tablespoon of tomato paste to the pan with the meat and garlic, and stir the mixture well.
- Add half a tablespoon of salt, quarter tablespoon of black pepper, a pinch of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg to the pan, then stir the spices into the meat.
- Add 5 peeled and chopped local red, tart tomatoes to the pan, then cook them with the meat until the sauce thickens.
- Cover the pan with a circular-cut sheet of parchment paper, or one sized to fit the pan, so that the sauce does not dry out and the steam remains suitable.
- Crush 4 garlic cloves with a pinch of salt in the mortar until the garlic is fine.
- Put 800 grams of local yogurt in a mixing bowl, then add the crushed garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of tahini, and half a tablespoon of salt.
- Mix the yogurt with the garlic, lemon, tahini, and salt until it forms a seasoned yogurt sauce.
- Taste the yogurt sauce, then add extra tahini if needed to adjust the consistency as mentioned verbally.
- Arrange the grilled, peeled eggplants on a serving platter, then cover them with the seasoned yogurt sauce.
- Spoon the thickened meat and tomato sauce from the pan over the top.
- Garnish the surface with parsley and almonds, then serve the dish with tanoor bread or country-style bread.
- Serve the dish hot with green chili peppers on the side, as mentioned verbally.