These eggplants—the Turkish name means “slashed belly”—represent a main dish to be served hot with a rice or bulgur pilaf. The Syrian and Lebanese version is with the meat filling on page 306.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　6 medium (6-inch) thin and long eggplants

　　Salt

　　Vegetable oil

　　2 onions, chopped

　　3/4 pound ground beef or lamb

　　1 tablespoon tomato paste

　　2 large tomatoes, one peeled and chopped, the other cut into 6 slices to garnish

　　Salt and pepper

　　1 teaspoon cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon allspice

　　1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　1 cup good-quality tomato juice

　　

Step 1

Trim the caps and leave the stems on the eggplants. Peel 1/2-inch strips off the skins lengthwise, leaving 1/2-inch stripes of skin. Soak in water with 1 tablespoon salt and leave for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them. Fry them very briefly in hot shallow oil, 2 or 3 at a time in a skillet, turning to brown them lightly all over, then drain on paper towels.

　　

Step 2

For the filling, in another skillet heat 2–3 tablespoons fresh oil, and fry the onions until soft. Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes, crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over, until it changes color. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir well, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.

　　

Step 3

Place the eggplants side by side in a single layer in a baking dish. With a sharp-pointed knife, make a slit in each one, lengthwise, along one of the bare strips on the top, without reaching the 2 ends (up to about 1 inch from each end). With a dessert spoon, open out the slits and push open the flesh on the sides to make a hollow pocket.

　　

Step 4

Fill each eggplant with some of the filling, and garnish with a slice of tomato placed on top. Pour the tomato juice into the dish, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft.

　　

Variations

Step 5

For Syrian and Lebanese sheikh el mahshi betingan, use 6 medium eggplants with the meat filling on page 306. The juice of 1 lemon may be added to the liquid in the baking dish.

　　

Step 6

It is also common to cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and bake them with the filling spread all over the cut sides.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf