Today I’m sharing Stuffed Eggplant Two Ways, or Mnazeleh ou Mahshi.
I promise you’ve never had a dish like this before. One set of baby eggplants is filled with rice, ground meat and spices and boiled in salted water to make an umami-rich broth. The other set is deep fried and studded with ground meat, pine nuts and sweet, caramelized onions. They’re served with the broth, making a scrumptious play off flavors and textures.
“Mnazeleh” refers to the deep fried eggplant with ground meat, onions and pine nuts, which some Arabs refer to as “sheikh al mahshi,” or “king of the stuffed vegetables.” “Mahshi” is the name for the classic stuffed eggplant with rice, ground meat and seasoning. Serving the 2 together is quintessentially unique to Homs, my parents hometown, celebrating their notoriously sweet and delicious in-season eggplants.
For many of us who were raised in the diaspora, we’ll never truly know the flavors of the homeland. The different soil, water, and air affect how vegetables, fruit, herbs, and grains taste. We may experience joy when tomatoes, eggplants, fava beans, etc. are in season. We may attempt to recreate recipes to maintain traditions. Food, however, has to be adapted to new lands. Nuances are lost, and so is rhythm of the seasons.
I have distinct memories eating eggplants in Homs during my childhood summers. Without as much of a discerning palette at the time, the only memory I have of their flavor is what’s recounted to me at the dinner table in Chicago, whenever my dad complains about seedy, bitter eggplants.
The palette guides so much of our identity. Naturally, when I heard last year about a shop in Dubai that has Homsi eggplants, I immediately contacted them. They ended up delivering the Hamwi variety, which are pretty close to Homsi. As described, they were almost as sweet as candy, and I absolutely couldn’t get enough of them. My luck, however, was fleeting. I haven’t been able to find them since. This dish was made with supermarket variety baby eggplants.
My mother ate this dish frequently during childhood. She didn’t get a chance to ask my grandmother for the recipe before she passed away last year, but she figured it out and passed it along to me. She says it’s nostalgia in every bite.
This recipe requires several steps, and it might take some time, but I promise it’s worth it. Here are some tips:
Spread the work over a couple of days. Fry the “mnazeleh” eggplant portion and make the meat stuffing on day one, and make the classic stuffed eggplant (the “mahshi” portion) on the second day.
To properly core the eggplant, cut off the tops and score an “x” with a paring knife. Roll the eggplant back and forth across a surface in order to loosen the flesh and skin. Core with a vegetable corer (which you can purchase here) by removing as much of the insides as possible without piercing the skin.
Every vegetable is different, so begin checking the “mahshi” eggplant for tenderness before the recommended cooking time.
Never leave stuffed vegetables in their cooking liquid. When they finish cooking, fish them out with a slotted spoon and place on a platter. Otherwise, they will continue cooking, become too soft, and fall apart.
Eat this dish alongside a traditional garden salad, which consists of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.
I hope you give it a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out! You can also tag @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks on Instagram! I love to see your creations.
Mnazeleh ou Mahshi (Stuffed Eggplant Two Ways)
Umami-rich stuffed eggplant gets two treatments: one is deep fried and filled with ground meat, onions and pine nuts, while the other is with spiced meat and rice and boiled in a ghee-filled broth. It’s a perfect way to celebrate eggplant season!
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
2 kg/4 lbs eggplant (full-size or baby)
1 kg/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
1/3 c toaste pine nuts
1.5 c medium or short grain rice, such as Jasmine or Calrose, washed
1 small onion, grated
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp ghee
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp safflower
2 tsp salt, plus more for the water
2 tsp 7 spices, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 c water
About 1-2 qt oil for frying
Instructions:
Separate the eggplant into 2 halves. Score the eggplant, cutting until about midway through, right down the middle.
Heat the frying oil in a medium to large pot over medium-high heat until about 350 F/175 C. Fry the eggplant, working in batches if you need to, until golden-brown, about 5-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Once cool, eggplant can be stored in a paper towel-lined airtight container for about 2 days.
Place a large skillet over high heat. Cook half the ground meat, stirring constantly, until browned all over, dry and cooked through. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and season with 1 tsp 7 spices, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to the skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add to ground meat, top with pine nuts and stir to combine. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Core the remaining eggplant by cutting off the tops, scoring the top with an “x,” and rolling back and forth across a surface. Take the corer and dig out as much of the insides as you can without piercing the skin.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, remaining ground meat, grated onion, ghee, vegetable oil, safflower, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp 7 spices, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and water. The stuffing should be quite soft, pretty much falling apart. If you find it dry, add 2-3 more tablespoons of water.
Fill the eggplant with the stuffing, stopping about 1/4 of the way from the top. Tap it on a surface, then fill a bit more. Squeeze about 1/3 of the way up to get rid of any excess stuffing (the rice will expand while cooking). Repeat with remaining eggplant.
Fill a large pot with moderately salted water. Bring to a boil, add the rice-stuffed eggplant, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 1 - 1.5 hours, or until skin is easily pierced with a fingernail.
Meanwhile, stuff the fried eggplant the the ground meat, onion and pine nut mixture. Reserve remaining filling in the fridge or freezer for later use.
Add the fried eggplant pieces to a large skillet. About 20 minutes before serving, add a couple ladles of the boiled eggplant broth to the skillet. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
Serve immediately with boiled stuffed eggplant, fried stuffed eggplant and a side of eggplant broth. If making ahead, remove the eggplant from the broth. Reheat all components separately.
