Orange Blossom Water

Bathenjan Mshattah is eggplants stuffed with a mixture of (sauteed onion, red pepper paste, and spices), then covered with tahini sauce and served.

Let’s make Bathenjan Mshattah:

1, 2. Bring long eggplants, and wash them.

3,4, 5,6. Cut off the cap and the stem of the eggplants.

7,8,9, 10,11. Peel eggplants in vertical strips.

12. Use a knife, and make one deep vertical cut in each eggplant.

13, 14, 15. This cut will be used to make a cavity in each eggplant.

16. Use your fingers and open the cavity in each eggplant.

17, 18, 19. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt to fill and rub each eggplant.

20. Put a colander over a bowl, and put eggplants in the colander.

21. Allow eggplants to drain for 45 minutes.

22, 23. After 45 minutes, squeeze each eggplant to get rid of excess water.

24, 25, 26. Put eggplants on paper towels and dry them.

27. Transfer eggplants into a bowl.

28. Add 5 tablespoons olive oil to eggplants.

29. Toss eggplants to coat them with olive oil.

30. Lay eggplants on a baking dish.

31, 32. Drizzle with olive oil which remained in the bowl.

29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. Heat the oven at 365 – 390 °F (185 – 200 °C). Place the dish in the oven and bake eggplants until the inside is cooked and tender and the surface has turned brown.

Filling

37, 38. Finely chop red onion.

39. In a pan, heat 5 tablespoons olive oil.

40. Add chopped onion to olive oil.

41. Saute onion until transparent.

42. Transfer onion into a bowl.

43, 44. To onion, add 1/3 cup dibs al-fleifleh al-halabiyeh (red pepper paste).

45, 46, 47. To onion and dibs al-fleifleh al-halabiyeh (red pepper paste), add 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon nigella seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 cup medium chopped toasted walnuts.

48. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined, and set aside.

Tahini Sauce

49, 50, 51, 52. In a jug, put 1/2 cup tahini and 1/2 cup yogurt.

53, 54, 55, 56. To tahnin and yogurt, add 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

57, 58, 59, 60. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined, and set aside.

Assemble

61, 62. Bring the eggplants and the filling.

63, 64, 65, 66. Fill the cavity of each eggplant with 1 tablespoon of filling, and spread the filling.

67, 68. Close eggplants gently.

69. Stuffed eggplants can be kept in fridge for 2 hours then tahini sauce is added and dish is served, or tahini sauce can be added immediately and the dish is served.

70. Arrange stuffed eggplants into a  serving plate.

71. Cover stuffed eggplants with tahini sauce.

72. Garnish stuffed eggplants with chopped parsley and chopped toasted walnuts.

73. Serve Bathenjan Mshattah with Arabic flat bread.

Bathenjan Mshattah

From: Chef Mohammad Orfali / Servings: 5 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

14 long eggplants, approximately 3 – 4 inches (7 – 10 cm) long 1/2 tsp salt, for each eggplant 5 tbsp olive oil Filling 2 medium red onion, finely chopped 5 tbsp olive oil 1/3 cup dibs al-fleifleh al-halabiyeh (red pepper paste) 5 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tsp nigella seeds 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 cup medium chopped toasted walnuts Tahini Sauce 1/2 cup tahini 1/2 cup yogurt 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp crushed garlic 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt Garnish Medium chopped flat parsley leaves Medium chopped toasted walnuts To Serve Arabic flat bread

Bring long eggplants and wash them. Cut off the cap and the stem of the eggplants. Peel eggplants in vertical strips. Use a knife, and make one deep vertical cut in each eggplant. This cut will be used to make a cavity in each eggplant. Use your fingers and open the cavity in each eggplant. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt to fill and rub each eggplant. Put a colander over a bowl, and put eggplants in the colander. Allow eggplants to drain for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, squeez each eggplant to get rid of excess water. Put eggplants on paper towels and dry them. Transfer eggplants into a bowl. Add 5 tablespoons olive oil to eggplants. Toss eggplants to coat them with olive oil. Lay eggplants on a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil which remained in the bowl. Heat the oven at 365 – 390 °F (185 – 200 °C). Place the dish in the oven and bake eggplants until the inside is tender and the surface has turned brown. Filling Finely chop red onion. In a pan, heat 5 tablespoons olive oil. Add chopped onion to olive oil. Saute onion until transparent. Transfer onion into a bowl. To onion, add 1/3 cup dibs al-fleifleh al-halabiyeh (red pepper paste). To onion and dibs al-fleifleh al-halabiyeh (red pepper paste), add 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon nigella seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 cup medium chopped toasted walnuts. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined, and set aside. Tahini Sauce In a jug, put 1/2 cup tahini and 1/2 cup yogurt. To tahnin and yogurt, add 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined, and set aside. Assemble Bring the eggplants and the filling. Fill the cavity of each eggplant with 1 tablespoon of filling, and spread the filling. Close eggplants gently. Stuffed eggplants can be kept in fridge for 2 hours then tahini sauce is added and dish is served, or tahini sauce can be added immediately and the dish is served. Arrange stuffed eggplant into a serving plate. Cover stuffed eggplants with tahini sauce. Garnish stuffed eggplants with chopped parsley and chopped toasted walnuts. Serve Bathenjan Mshattah with Arabic flat bread.

Notes and Tips

14 eggplants weigh 1265 g.

Traditionally eggplant is prepared by deep frying not by cooking in the oven.

Here is a photo of Dibs Al-Fleifleh Al-Halabiyeh, and click here to know more about it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2015 at 9:19 PM and is filed under Syrian Cooking, To Aleppo With Love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.