Fattet Al Betingan Mahshi Recipes

FATTET BATTENJEN

Steps:

• For the eggplant: Remove the tops from the eggplants and slice them the long way into 1-inch slices. Rub the sea salt on the flesh sides of each eggplant and place them into a strainer on top of a large bowl. Let them sit for an hour in a cool place.
• Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes, all about the same size so that they will cook evenly.
• Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Carefully drop one piece of eggplant into the oil, and when it starts to sizzle, add a few more handfuls. Working in batches, fry the eggplant until they are golden and crispy, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the fried eggplant to the paper-towel-lined plate.
• For the tahini yogurt garlic sauce: Whisk the yogurt in a large bowl until smooth. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, pomegranate molasses and sea salt and whisk until combined and smooth.
• For the layers: Lay the toasted pita chips on a platter, top with the chickpeas and sprinkle with the salt and cumin. Top with the fried eggplant, then pour over the yogurt sauce and top with the parsley. Sprinkle over the paprika, pomegranate seeds and cranberries. Top with the melted butter and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with mint leaves if using and serve.

FATTET BETENJAN (EGGPLANT AND YOGURT SALAD)

Steps:

• Pour water and 2 tablespoons salt into a large bowl. Add cubed eggplant and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and place on paper towel-lines plates until completely dry, about 30 more minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Chop pita bread into 1-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes; do not burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Heat 1/2 inch oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 6 minutes per batch. Remove to paper towel-lined plates to drain.
• Meanwhile, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small frying pan. Add almonds and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring often, until nicely brown and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
• Place lettuce on a serving platter. Layer with eggplant, chickpeas, and roasted pita bread. Pour yogurt mixture over top and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve at room temperature or cold.

FALSE MAHSHI: LAYERED SWISS CHARD, BEETS, RICE AND BEEF

Steps:

• Place rice in a mixing bowl and cover with water. Stir, drain off cloudy water, and repeat until water runs clear. Cover rice with fresh water and let soak for about 1 hour.
• Season beef with salt and pepper to taste. Place Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When oil is shimmering, add beef and sauté until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside. Return pan to low heat and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add onions and sauté until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add diced beets and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add two-thirds of the Swiss chard stems and continue cooking until onions are golden, about 5 more minutes. Stir in beef, cover, and remove from heat.
• Drain rice and return to a bowl. Sprinkle with salt to taste, 5 teaspoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh mint and dried mint. Stir to blend, and add garlic, grated beet, remaining oil and juice of 1 lemon. Spread one-third of Swiss chard leaves in Dutch oven, on top of beef mixture. Spoon half of rice mixture on top, and cover with another third of chard leaves. Spread with remaining rice, and top with remaining Swiss chard leaves and stems.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups water with remaining 3 teaspoons sugar and juice of another lemon. Taste and, if necessary, add more sugar or lemon juice so mixture is both sweet and sour. Pour over Swiss chard and bring to a boil. Cook partly covered until chard begins to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water if pan is very wide and there is little liquid on bottom. Poke handle of a wooden spoon into mixture in three places, making holes to let steam rise through chard. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and remaining fresh mint.

BETINGAN MAKDOUS

Steps:

• Trim the stem end of the eggplants and pierce the skin in a few places with a pointed knife. Poach in salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until soft, weighing the eggplants down with a small, heavy lid. Drain, and when they are cool, very gently squeeze to get rid of the water.
• Mix the walnuts with the chili and garlic and add a little salt. Cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of each eggplant but not right through, leaving the ends so as to form a pocket. Stuff with the walnut mixture.
• Put the eggplants in a colander over a bowl, with a plate and weight on top, and leave overnight for water to drain. Transfer carefully to a jar, and cover with oil. They should be ready in a few days, and they keep for a month in the refrigerator.

FATTET AL BETINGAN MAHSHI

Steps:

• For the eggplant stuffing, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Put in the meat and cook for about 10 minutes, adding salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice, and crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over until it is cooked and the liquid has evaporated.
• In a small skillet, fry the pine nuts in a drop of oil, shaking the pan to brown them lightly all over. Stir half the pine nuts into the meat.
• Wash and dry the eggplants and hollow them out with a corer (see page 315). Fill them with the meat-and-pine-nut mixture. (Use the eggplant flesh for another dish.)
• Make the tomato sauce in a wide pan or baking pan. Put in the tomatoes with the sugar, a little salt and pepper, and, if you like, the pomegranate concentrate. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes. Put in the eggplants, and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the eggplants are very soft, turning them over once.
• Open out the pita breads, cutting around them with scissors or a serrated knife, and separating them into halves. Toast them under the broiler until they are crisp and lightly browned.
• Mix the yogurt with the garlic, if using.
• Just before serving, assemble the different components in a wide and deep serving dish. Break the toast into small pieces with your hands into the bottom of the dish. Take the eggplants out of the tomato sauce, and pour the tomato sauce over the toast, which will become soft and bloated. Pour the yogurt all over, and arrange the stuffed eggplants on top. Then sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts.
• Instead of cooking the eggplants in the tomato sauce, fry them in enough medium-hot oil to half-cover them, turning to cook them all over. The skins (there is no bare flesh) stop them from absorbing the oil. Lift them out and drain on paper towels.
• Mix 2 tablespoons tahina paste with the yogurt.