Sheik el mahshi is a great meal. I have been eating and making this Lebanese classic for as long as I can remember. Eggplants stuffed with minced meat bathed and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. The one-casserole nature of this homey dish, will warm the heart and tummy, a comforting dish that is full of nostalgia and is just the thing for a cozy, warming meal on a chilly night. Serve sheik el mahshi with rice and vermicelli or plain rice, and you’ve got a certifiably decent dinner.
Like so many other Mediterranean eggplant dishes, sheik al mahshi tastes great at room temperature and as leftovers a day, two later. . Just like our Lebanese moussala/ maghmour. That makes it good anytime, anywhere.
Eggplants are great candidates for stuffing. Just like our zucchini and eggplant mahshi
Ingredients needed to make sheik al mahshi
- Slender eggplants: use slender eggplants, small or medium sized, they are especially fitting for making sheik al mahshi.
- Ground meat: Lamb is actually my favorite ground meat, although beef would be fine.
- Tomato paste: To make a tomato based sauce.
- Onion: finely chopped to be cooked with the minced meat.
- Pine nuts: Optional, but they add a desired nutty flavor.
- Cinnamon powder: optional, omit if you are not a fan.
- Oil or ghee: To fry the eggplants.
- Black pepper: for a more aromatic flavor.
- Salt: Sprinkle the surface of each eggplant with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into each slit.
- Water
- Red ripe firm tomato, cut into wedges to be added to each eggplant.
Why you will like Sheik El Mahshi?
Sheik el mahshi may sound a simple dish, but it’s chock full of agreeable Mediterranean flavors. Packed with eggplants, minced meat tomatoes, pine nuts and served with rice and vermicelli.The fresh eggplants maintain their sweet, bright flavor, and they provide a cool, crisp contrast to the warm, filling made with ground meat. Plus, they’re eye-catching in color and shape, which makes them a presentable main for parties and get together. You can double or triple the recipe if you need to feed a crowd.
How to make sheik al mahshi?
- Partially peel the eggplants: Partially peel the eggplants, creating a stripped effect. Leave enough skin allowing the eggplants to stay intact during the cooking process.
- Prepare the meat filling: Pour the 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee in a skillet, place on medium heat and fry the pine nuts, lightly roasting it. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the chopped onion to the oil and sauté to tender. Stir in the minced meat, Add the minced meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. You want to break it up as much as possible. Season with salt and the mentioned spices; Cook the mince, stirring and breaking up any large chunks for about 6-8 minutes, or until it is fully browned. Remove from heat, take a bite to make sure you’ve seasoned to your taste preference. Add the toasted pine nuts, and leave to completely cool down, now the filling is ready.
- Fry the eggplants: Heat oil or ghee in a large skillet and fry the eggplants on both sides to a golden color. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels.
- Stuff the eggplants: Using a sharp knife, vertically slit the center of each eggplant, deep enough to add the stuffing in it. Transfer the eggplants onto a baking tray in a single layer. Place 1 tablespoon of the cooked minced meat into the slit of each eggplant, top each eggplant with a tomato wedge.
- Cook the eggplants: Mix the tomato paste and water and pour it gently over the eggplants. Bake in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F for about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Serve with rice: Serve with rice and vermicelli or plain rice. Happy eating.
Make ahead: Assembled, fried eggplants can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.
Looking for more Lebanese eggplant based dishes, we got you covered:
- Lebanese Moussaka, Maghmour
- Zucchini and Eggplant Mahshi
- Baba Ghanoush
- Eggplant and Beetroot Moutabal
- Raheb Salad
- Shrimp and Eggplant Fatteh
The fresh eggplants maintain their sweet, bright flavor, and they provide a cool, crisp contrast to the warm, filling made with ground meat. Plus, they’re eye-catching in color and shape, which makes them a presentable main for parties and get together.
If you make our sheik El Mahshi, kindly rate the recipe and leave a comment below. This will be helpful for future readers and if you snapped some photos, share them on Facebook, I would love to see your creations.
Shiek Al Mahshi/ Lebanese Stuffed Eggplants
Description
Ingredients
- 1 1/ 2 kgs / 3lb 5 oz slender eggplants
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 300 grams/ 10.5 oz lamb or beef
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 medium sized tomato cut into wedges
- Sunflower oil or ghee to fry the eggplants
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- A generous dash of freshly grated black pepper
- A dash of cinnamon powder optional
Instructions
- Partially peel the eggplants, creating a stripped effect. Leave enough skin allowing the eggplants to stay intact during the cooking process.
- Sprinkle the salt on the eggplants and set aside for about 20 minutes.
- Pour the 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee in a skillet, place on medium heat and fry the pine nuts, lightly roasting it. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the chopped onion to the oil and sauté to tender. Stir in the minced meat, Add the minced meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. You want to break it up as much as possible. Season with salt and the mentioned spices; Cook the mince, stirring and breaking up any large chunks for about 6-8 minutes, or until it is fully browned. Remove from heat, take a bite to make sure you’ve seasoned to your taste preference. Add the toasted pine nuts, and leave to completely cool down, now the filling is ready.
- Heat oil or ghee in a large skillet and fry the eggplants on both sides to a golden color.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels.
- Using a sharp knife, vertically slit the center of each eggplant, deep enough to add the stuffing in it.
- Transfer the eggplants onto a baking tray in a single layer. Place 1 tablespoon of the cooked minced meat into the slit of each eggplant.
- Top each eggplant with a tomato wedge.
- Mix the tomato paste and water and pour it gently over the eggplants.
- Bake in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F for about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Serve with rice and vermicelli or plain rice. Happy eating.
