Levantine cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Batenjan Mahshi bi Zeit

Small eggplants, hollowed out and filled with rice, tomato and mint, braised soft in olive oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg small eggplants
• 200 g round-grain rice
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 120 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplants, leave the stem cap on and hollow them out from the cut side almost to the bottom with a corer, leaving a wall about 5 mm thick.
2. Soak the rice for 20 min. and drain, finely dice two of the tomatoes and the onions, and chop the mint and parsley.
3. Mix the rice, diced tomato, onions, herbs, allspice, 4 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and fill the eggplants only two-thirds full with it — the rice needs room to swell.
4. Pack the stuffed eggplants tightly side by side in a wide pot, pour the remaining olive oil over them and let them take on color for 3 min. over medium heat.
5. Stir the tomato paste with 500 ml hot water and the last, diced tomato, pour it in and simmer covered for 40–45 min. over low heat until the rice and eggplants are tender.
6. Take off the heat, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve straight from the pot, lukewarm or cold.