Orange Blossom Water

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Have you ever thought about making eggplant into Jam? Mrabba Al-Bathenjan (Eggplant Jam) is very popular in Syria. You would be surprised how delicious it is. Today I’ll share the recipe of Eggplant Jam of Hama, and next post will be “Mrabba Al-Bathenjan Al-Halabi” which is the recipe of Aleppo.

Let’s make Mrabba Al-Bathenjan:

1, 2. Put 100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) in a large ceramic or glass bowl.

3, 4, 5, 6. Add 1500 ml warm water to it. When water is added, it heats up and bubbles like it’s boiling, make it seems alive.

7,8. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon.

9, 10, 11, 12. Set aside for 1 hour, this will allow to separate the precipitate and clean water.

13, 14, 15, 16. These are baby eggplants, and this is the type of eggplants used for making jam (try to find the same kind in the picture), approximately 1 1/2 – 2 inches long (4 – 5 cm).

17, 18, 19, 20. Cut off the cap and the stem.

21, 22, 23, 24. Peel off the eggplants, then rinse with water.

25, 26. Put peeled eggplants in a large bowl.

27. Bring the bowl of slaked lime and water.

28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Use a ladle and add the clear water to the eggplants. Discard the white precipitate and don’t add it to the eggplants.

33, 34. Put ceramic or glass plate over the eggplants to immerse them, and set aside for 24 hours.

35, 36. After 24 hours, remove the plate.

37, 38. Drain water from eggplants.

39, 40. Wash eggplants and rinse in several changes with water.

41, 42, 43, 44. Soak eggplants in water for 30 minutes, then drain water from eggplants. This step to get rid of any traces of slaked lime.

45, 46. Put eggplants in a saucepan filled with water.

47. Turn on heat, and keep over high heat until it starts to boil.

48, 49. Once water is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

50, 51. Check if eggplant is done by pressing on it. When your finger leaves a mark (picture 51), that means eggplants are ready, eggplants should be slightly soft but not mushy or falling a part.

52, 53. Drain water from eggplants.

54, 55, 56. Soak eggplants in water for 30 minutes

57, 58. Drain water from eggplants.

59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64. Squeeze each eggplant to remove any excess water, and set aside.

65, 66. Put 650 g sugar in a saucepan.

67, 68. Add 600 ml water to sugar.

69, 70, 71, 72. Dissolve sugar in water over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes.

73, 74, 75, 76. Add eggplants to sugar syrup. The temperature of the syrup will go down when you add eggplants, therefore keep over high heat and bring to boil and let it boil for 5 minutes with gentle stirring using a wooden spoon.

77. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

78. After 1 hour of simmering, add 1/8 teaspoon lemon salt (citric acid).

79, 80. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

90, 91. The jam is done when the eggplants have become semi-transparent, and the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency and coating the eggplants.

92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97. Transfer hot eggplant jam into a jar.

98, 99, 100, 101. Pour syrup over eggplant jam.

102, 103. It is fine if syrup did not cover all the eggplants. Allow to cool to room temperature before sealing the jar. Then seal and store in the refrigerator.

104. Bring eggplant jam to room temperature before serving.

105. Serve in a plate.

106, 107, 108, 109. Drizzle with syrup, and serve.

113. Mrabba Al-Bathenjan is eaten with Arabic flat bread or toast and accompanied by jebneh such as jebneh mshallaleh (string cheese), and tea.

Mrabba Al-Bathenjan

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

100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) 1500 ml warm water 500 g baby eggplants, approximately 1 1/2 – 2 inches (4 – 5 cm) long 650 g sugar 600 ml water 1/8 tsp lemon salt (citric acid) To Serve Arabic flat bread or toast Jebneh Tea

Put 100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Add 1500 ml warm water to it. When water is added, it heats up and bubbles like it’s boiling, make it seems alive. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon. Set aside for 1 hour, this will allow to separate the precipitate and clean water. These are baby eggplants, and this is the type of eggplants used for making jam (try to find the same kind in the picture), approximately 1 1/2 – 2 inches long (4 – 5 cm). Cut off the cap and the stem. Peel off the eggplants, then rinse with water. Put peeled eggplants in a large bowl. Bring the bowl of slaked lime and water. Use a ladle and add the clear water to the eggplants. Discard the white precipitate and don’t add it to the eggplants. Put ceramic or glass plate over the eggplants to immerse them, and set aside for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the plate. Drain water from eggplants. Wash eggplants and rinse in several changes with water. Soak eggplants in water for 30 minutes, then drain water from eggplants. This step to get rid of any traces of slaked lime. Put eggplants in a saucepan filled with water. Turn on heat, and keep over high heat until it starts to boil. Once water is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Check if eggplant is done by pressing on it. When your finger leaves a mark (picture 51), that means eggplants are ready, eggplants should be slightly soft but not mushy or falling a part. Drain water from eggplants. Soak eggplants in water for 30 minutes Drain water from eggplants. Squeeze each eggplant to remove any excess water, and set aside. Put 650 g sugar in a saucepan. Add 600 ml water to sugar. Dissolve sugar in water over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add eggplants to sugar syrup. The temperature of the syrup will go down when you add eggplants, therefore keep over high heat and bring to boil and let it boil for 5 minutes with gentle stirring using a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. After 1 hour of simmering, add 1/8 teaspoon lemon salt (citric acid). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The jam is done when the eggplants have become semi-transparent, and the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency and coating the eggplants. Transfer hot eggplant jam into a jar. Pour syrup over eggplant jam. It is fine if syrup did not cover all the eggplants. Allow to cool to room temperature before sealing the jar. Then seal and store in the refrigerator. Bring eggplant jam to room temperature before serving. Serve in a plate. Drizzle with syrup, and serve. Mrabba Al-Bathenjan is eaten with Arabic flat bread or toast and accompanied by jebneh such as jebneh mshallaleh (string cheese), and tea.

Notes and Tips

Slaked lime should be use, it cannot be substituted and cannot be omitted from the recipe.

Slaked lime is used to keep eggplants firm and prevent them from turning mushy and soft when cooked in sugar syrup.

Slaked lime can scald and burn your skin, you have to be careful.

Do not throw slaked lime (white precipitate) in the sink, it will block drain pipes.

In Syria, this variety of baby eggplants used for the recipe is called “Bathenjan Homsi or Bathenjan Tadfi”, it is grown in Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 25th, 2016 at 10:38 PM and is filed under Syrian Breakfast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.