Orange Blossom Water

Batersh is a specialty of Hama, Syria. It is smoked eggplant, mashed and mixed with yogurt mixture then topped with tomato sauce and meat.

Let’s make Batersh:

Making Drained Yogurt (should be prepared one day in advance)

1, 2. I used Laban ‘Arabi (Syrian yogurt made from Sheep’s milk).

3,4. Measure 2000 g yogurt.

5,6. Place a colander over a bowl.

7. Line the colander with clean cotton cloth, the bottom of the colander should not be in contact with the liquid released from the yogurt.

8,9, 10. Spoon yogurt into the lined colander.

11, 12, 14,  15, 16, 17. Cover, put in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 24 hours, discarding the liquid that collect in the bowl every once in a while.

19, 20. After 24 hours, measure 350 g drained yogurt and set aside.

Making Tomato Puree

21, 22. Measure 2900 g tomatoes

23, 24, 25, 26. Cut tomatoes into large quarters.

27, 28. Put tomato quarters in a deep pot, and add 200 ml water to it.

29, 30, 31, 32. Add 1 tablespoon salt to tomato quarters.

33, 34. Put over high heat until it starts to boil.

35, 36. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

37. Place a strainer over a bowl.

38, 39, 40. Pour tomatoes into strainer.

41, 42, 43. Set aside to cool.

45, 46, 47, 48. Use your hand and squeeze until you get all juice out.

49, 50. Pour tomato juice into a large deep pot.

51, 52. Put over high heat until boiling vigorously.

53 t0 60. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat until reduced by half and thickened into a puree, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

61, 62, 63, 64. The tomato juice thickened and turned into a puree, the quantity is 600 ml.

65, 66, 67, 68. Pour tomato puree into a saucepan and set aside.

Smoking Eggplants

69, 70, 71, 72. Wash and rinse eggplants, and put in a colander to drain.

73, 74. Prick eggplants several times with a toothpick.

75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80. Place Eggplant directly on the flame of a gas burner. When one side is done, turned into other side,  so  it is charred on the outside and the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.

85 to 91. Remove the charred skin of the eggplant, you can rinse with water and that will help in removing the skin.

92. Cut the head and the stem of the eggplant.

93, 94, 95, 96. Place a strainer over a bowl. Place eggplants on strainer and set aside to drain.

97, 98. The quantity of eggplants is 625 g.

99, 100, 101, 102, 103. Mash eggplant using a knife until smooth.

104. Transfer mashed eggplant into a bowl and set aside.

Assembly

105. Bring the bowl of 350 g drained yogurt.

106 to 112. To drained yogurt, add 1/4 cup tahini, 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt.

113, 114. Stir all the ingredients until well mixed.

115, 116. Add mashed eggplant to yogurt mixture.

117, 118, 119, 120. Stir all the ingredients until well mixed and set aside.

121. Line a plate with paper towels.

122, 123, 124. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee.

125 to 140. Add 30 g pine nuts and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels and set aside. Then to same ghee, add 85 g almond halves and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels and set aside. Then to same ghee, add 50 g chopped walnuts and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels. All the nuts are on same paper towels, set the mixture aside.

141, 142, 143, 144. In a deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee.

145, 146, 147, 148. Add 300 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee.

149, 150. Brown the meat.

151 to 154. Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

155, 156. Add nuts to meat, stir and set aside.

157. Heat tomato puree.

158, 159, 160. Add 1 1/2 cup hot tomato puree to eggplant yogurt mixture. Reserve the remaining tomato puree.

161, 162. Stir all together until well mixed.

163, 164. In a pan, put 5 tablespoons ghee. I used Samneh ‘Arabi (Syrian ghee made from sheep’s milk).

165, 164. Heat the ghee until smoking hot.

167, 168. Add ghee to the mixture. Reserve two tablespoons of ghee.

169, 170, 171, 172. Stir all together until well mixed.

173. Bring serving plates. Four plates are needed.

174, 175, 176, 177. Divide the eggplant mixture between the plates.

178, 179, 180, 181. Spread in even layer with a back of spoon (step is done to all the plates).

181, 182. Top with reserved tomato puree (step is done to all the plates, so divide the tomato puree between them). Tomato puree should be hot, so you may need to reheat it before doing this step,

183, 184. Spread in even layer with a back of spoon.

185, 186. Top with meat mixture (step is done to all the plates, so divide the meat mixture between them). Meat mixture should be hot, so you may need to reheat it before doing this step.

187, 188. Spread in even layer with a back of spoon.

189, 190, 191. Drizzle with reserved two tablespoons of ghee (step is done to all the plates, so divide the two tablespoons between them).

192. Finely chop parsley leaves.

193, 194, 195, 196. Garnish each plate with finely chopped parsley leaves.

197. Serve Batersh with Arabic flat bread and sliced green pepper. Batersh is eaten by hand scooped with pieces of bread.

Batersh

From: Family Recipe / Servings: 5 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Making Drained Yogurt (should be prepared one day in advance) 2000 g yogurt, preferably Laban ‘Arabi (Syrian yogurt made from sheep’s milk) Making Tomato Puree 2900 g red tomatoes 200 ml water 1 tbsp salt Smoking Eggplants 2000 g eggplants Assembly 625 g grilled eggplants, mashed 350 g drained yogurt 1/4 cup tahini 1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp ghee, for nuts 30 g pine nuts 85 g almond halves 50 g chopped walnuts, (small chopped) 1 tbsp ghee, for meat 300 g fat free ground lamb meat 1/2 tsp salt, for meat 1/8 tsp black pepper, for meat 600 ml tomato puree, divided 5 tbsp ghee, preferably Samneh ‘Arabi (Syrian ghee made from sheep’s milk), divided 3/4 cup finely chopped flat parsley leaves To Serve Arabic flat bread Green pepper, sliced

Making Drained Yogurt (should be prepared one day in advance) I used Laban ‘Arabi (Syrian yogurt made from sheep’s milk). Measure 2000 g yogurt. Place a colander over a bowl. Line the colander with clean cotton cloth, the bottom of the colander should not be in contact with the liquid released from the yogurt. Spoon yogurt into the lined colander. Cover, put in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 24 hours, discarding the liquid that collect in the bowl every once in a while. After 24 hours, measure 350 g drained yogurt and set aside. Making Tomato Puree Measure 2900 g tomatoes. Cut tomatoes into large quarters. Put tomato quarters in a deep pot, and add 200 ml water to it. Add 1 tablespoon salt to tomato quarters. Put over high heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place a strainer over a bowl. Pour tomatoes into strainer. Set aside to cool. Use your hand and squeeze until you get all juice out. Pour tomato juice into a large deep pot. Put over high heat until boiling vigorously. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat until reduced by half and thickened into a puree, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomato juice thickened and turned into a puree, the quantity is 600 ml. Pour tomato puree into a saucepan and set aside. Smoking Eggplants Wash and rinse eggplants, and put in a colander to drain. Prick eggplants several times with a toothpick. Place Eggplant directly on the flame of a gas burner. When one side is done, turned into other side, so it is charred on the outside and the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. Remove the charred skin of the eggplant, you can rinse with water and that will help in removing the skin. Cut the head and the stem of the eggplant. Place a strainer over a bowl. Place eggplants on strainer and set aside to drain. The quantity of eggplants is 625 g. Mash eggplant using a knife until smooth. Transfer mashed eggplant into a bowl and set aside. Assembly Bring the bowl of 350 g drained yogurt. To drained yogurt, add 1/4 cup tahini, 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir all the ingredients until well mixed. Add mashed eggplant to yogurt mixture. Stir all the ingredients until well mixed and set aside. Line a plate with paper towels. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee. Add 30 g pine nuts and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels and set aside. Then to same ghee, add 85 g almond halves and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels and set aside. Then to same ghee, add 50 g chopped walnuts and fry until golden brown in color, then remove and place on paper towels. All the nuts are on same paper towels, set the mixture aside. In a deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add 300 g fat free ground lamb meat to ghee. Brown the meat. Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add nuts to meat, stir and set aside. Heat tomato puree. Add 1 1/2 cup hot tomato puree to eggplant yogurt mixture. Reserve the remaining tomato puree. Stir all together until well mixed. In a pan, put 5 tablespoons ghee. I used Samneh ‘Arabi (Syrian ghee made from sheep’s milk). Heat the ghee until smoking hot. Add ghee to the mixture. Reserve two tablespoons of ghee. Stir all together until well mixed. Bring serving plates. Four plates are needed. Divide the eggplant mixture between the plates. Spread in even layer with a back of spoon (step is done to all the plates). Top with reserved tomato puree (step is done to all the plates, so divide the tomato puree between them). Tomato puree should be hot, so you may need to reheat it before doing this step, Spread in even layer with a back of spoon. Top with meat mixture (step is done to all the plates, so divide the meat mixture between them). Meat mixture should be hot, so you may need to reheat it before doing this step. Spread in even layer with a back of spoon. Drizzle with reserved two tablespoons of ghee (step is done to all the plates, so divide the two tablespoons between them). Finely chop parsley leaves. Garnish each plate with finely chopped parsley leaves. Serve Batersh with Arabic flat bread and sliced green pepper. Batersh is eaten by hand scooped with pieces of bread.

Notes and Tips

Traditionally Laban ‘Arabi (Syrian yogurt made from sheep’s milk) and Samneh ‘Arabi (Syrian ghee made from sheep’s milk) are used, but you can use any plain yogurt you have, and any ghee you have.

Check my video:
Mashing smoked eggplant

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 28th, 2009 at 5:50 PM and is filed under Syrian Cooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.