Fried eggplant halves stuffed with spiced ground beef and pine nuts, baked in a light tomato sauce, a rich Lebanese home-style dinner.
Sheikh al-mahshi, meaning 'king of stuffed dishes,' reflects the special regard this eggplant preparation holds in Lebanese home cooking, its filling more generous and richly spiced than many other stuffed vegetable dishes in the region. The eggplants are fried first until soft and lightly golden, a step that both flavors them and makes them tender enough to hold a hollow, before being filled with a mixture of ground beef, onion, pine nuts and warm baharat spice. Baked briefly in a simple tomato sauce, the finished dish arrives soft and deeply savory, the eggplant almost custardy against the well-seasoned meat filling, traditionally served with rice or warm flatbread to complete the meal.
Serves 4
Scoop a shallow well from the cut side of each eggplant half, then fry cut-side down in hot oil until soft and golden, about 8 minutes; drain on paper towels.
Cook onion in a little oil until soft, add garlic and ground beef, cooking until browned, then stir in pine nuts, baharat, salt and pepper.
Fill the hollowed eggplant halves generously with the meat mixture.
Whisk crushed tomatoes, water and salt.
Arrange the stuffed eggplants in a baking dish, pour the tomato sauce around them, and bake at 190C/375F for 25-30 minutes until bubbling.
Basting the eggplants with the sauce partway through keeps the exposed filling from drying out.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot with rice.
Fry the eggplant until genuinely soft and golden before stuffing — this step is what gives the dish its characteristic tender, custardy texture.
Toast the pine nuts lightly before adding them to the filling for extra depth, or add them raw if you prefer a softer texture.
Baste the stuffed eggplants with the tomato sauce partway through baking to keep the tops from drying out.
A vegetarian version replaces the beef with a mix of mushrooms and extra pine nuts.
Ground lamb can replace beef for a richer, more traditional flavor.
Adding a pinch of cinnamon to the filling gives it extra warmth, common in some regional variations.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven with a splash of water to keep the sauce from drying out.
Sheikh al-mahshi is considered one of the more elevated stuffed vegetable dishes in Lebanese cuisine, its name reflecting the esteem in which it's held, traditionally served on special occasions and family gatherings rather than as an everyday meal.
Yes, brush the halves with oil and roast at 220C/425F for about 20 minutes until soft, though the flavor will be slightly less rich than fried.
A mix of allspice, cinnamon and black pepper approximates the blend reasonably well.
It was likely overfried or too ripe to begin with — fry just until soft and golden, not until falling apart.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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