Mnazaleh batinjan

Name: Mnazaleh batinjan (Baked Eggplant and Minced Beef in Tomato Sauce)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; 400 g (14 oz) of minced beef; 1 onion (finely chopped); 3 tablespoons of olive oil; 2 eggplants (aubergines) (cut into slices approximately 1.5 cm [⅝ inch] thick); 350 ml (12 fl oz) of boiling water; 150 ml (5 fl oz) of tomato passata (puréed tomatoes); 1 large onion (sliced into rings); 2 tomatoes (sliced); 1 tablespoon of 7 spices blend; 25 g (1 oz) of pine nuts (toasted), plus extra as a garnish; 3 tablespoons of tomato paste (concentrated purée); 2 green peppers (capsicums) (sliced into rings); Steamed rice

Baked Eggplant and Minced Beef in Tomato Sauce

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Sumac

By Anas Atassi

Published 2021

About

Eggplant is traditionally cut into strips for this dish so that you can see the mix of white flesh and purple skin. It reminds me of the ablaq architecture so typical of Syria, of which precious little now remains.

Ingredients

2 eggplants (aubergines) (cut into slices approximately 1.5 cm [⅝ inch] thick)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Asia
Syria
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F).

Rub the eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Season with salt and pepper and bake for