Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan
April 22nd, 2009
Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan (Eggplants in Arabic is Al-Bathenjan) is a famous dish in Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon, but each country prepares this dish in different ways, differences can be in the ingredients, the way of the preparation and serving, of course this post is about the Syrian way.
Let’s make Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan:
1, 2, 3, 4. Peel eggplants, then cut to circles, rinse, then add salt. Fry eggplants in vegetable ghee until golden brown, and drain on paper towel, (try to drain it several times, change the towels and drain so that will remove excess ghee).
5, 6. Heat 2 tbsp ghee, and add ground meat.
7. Heat 2 tbsp ghee, and add nuts (you can see the way of adding nuts step by step in Batersh).
8. Add nuts to meat, add salt and pepper and stir for few seconds then turn off heat, (Note the meat should be completely cooked before adding nuts, when you cook meat, there’s water comes from it, but this water during cooking evaporates, so once this happen and the meat is completely cooked and not water remains you can add nuts).
9. Prepare a pot with water and salt, add the fried eggplants to it, and let boil 8 – 10 minutes.
10. During eggplants boiling, measure rice.
11. Rinse rice with cold water.
12. Boil water.
13. Soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes.
14, 15. Remove eggplants from water.
16. Keep the water, you will need it.
17. Drain rice, and rinse it with cold water in several changes.
18, 19. Add rice, when you add the rice, the water must be boiling vigorously.
20. Test if water is enough for rice by placing a spoon in the center, the same way in picture, if spoon stands still so the amount of water is perfect (this process we call it in Syria “Al-Samda” or “Rice Samda”), if the samada doesn’t success, that the spoon fall and not stand like the picture, it means the water is too much and you should drain some water and test again.
21. Keep the rice for 5 minutes over high heat so it will boil vigorously, then lower heat and cover pot and keep for 15 – 20 minutes till rice is cooked.
22, 23, 24. Rice, eggplants, meat are ready, it is time to assemble the dish.
In your plate:
25. Stir rice, then add it to the plate.
26. Add eggplants
27. Add rice again
28. Add meat on top.
Enjoy with salad (tomato, cucumber, flat parsley, mint, onion, olive oil, lemon juice and salt), or you can drink with it Laban Ayran (yogurt drink).
Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan
From: Family Recipe / Servings: 5 – 7 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images
| 1 1/2 kg medium eggplants
250 g vegetable ghee, for frying 2 tbsp ghee, for meat 500 g fat free ground lamb meat 2 tbsp ghee, for nuts Nuts (chopped walnuts, Water, for eggplants 3 3/4 cup Egyptian short grain rice Boiling water, for soaking rice Salt Black pepper To Serve Salad Laban Ayran (yogurt drink) |
Peel eggplants, then cut to circles, rinse, then add salt. Fry eggplants in vegetable ghee until golden brown, and drain on paper towel, (try to drain it several times, change the towels and drain so that will remove excess ghee). Heat 2 tbsp ghee, and add ground meat. Heat 2 tbsp ghee, and add nuts (you can see the way of adding nuts step by step in Batersh). Add nuts to meat, add salt and pepper and stir for few seconds then turn off heat, (Note the meat should be completely cooked before adding nuts, when you cook meat, there’s water comes from it, but this water during cooking evaporates, so once this happen and the meat is completely cooked and not water remains you can add nuts). Prepare a pot with water and salt, add the fried eggplants to it, and let boil 8 – 10 minutes. During eggplants boiling, measure rice. Rinse rice with cold water. Boil water. Soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes. Remove eggplants from water. Keep the water, you will need it. Drain rice, and rinse it with cold water in several changes. Add rice, when you add the rice, the water must be boiling vigorously. Test that the water is enough for rice, by placing a spoon in the center, the same way in picture, if spoon stands still so the amount of water is perfect (this process we call it in Syria “Al-Samda” or “Rice Samda”), if the samada doesn’t success, that the spoon fall and not stand like the picture, it means the water is too much and you should drain some water and test again. Keep the rice for 5 minutes over high heat, then lower heat and cover pot and keep for 15 – 20 minutes till rice is cooked. Rice, eggplants, meat are ready, it is time to assemble the dish. In your plate: Stir rice, then add it to the plate. Add eggplants Add rice again Add meat on top. Enjoy with salad (tomato, cucumber, flat parsley, mint, onion, olive oil, lemon juice and salt), or you can drink with it Laban Ayran (yogurt drink). |
