Egyptian
Vegan
Gluten freeMahshi betingan (stuffed baby aubergines)
محشي بتنجان (mahshi betingan): small black aubergines hollowed out and filled with dill and tomato rice
Small purple-black aubergines the length of a finger pile up on handcarts in Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab market in summer, and most of them end up as mahshi betingan on the family lunch table. Each one is hollowed out with a corer, filled with tomato rice heavy with dill, and simmered until the skin is glossy and the flesh almost melts into the rice. Eat them with yogurt, a crunchy cucumber salad and pickled turnips. People often scoop too much flesh and pierce the skin, so the filling leaks; leave a wall about 5 mm thick. Chef's tip: soak the hollowed aubergines in salted water for 10 minutes; they stay purple and drink up less oil.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 360 kcal
Ingredients
- 12 small auberginesabout 10 cm long
- 1 tbsp saltfor soaking
- 9 oz Egyptian or other short-grain ricerinsed and drained
- 1 oniongrated
- 3 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 oz dillchopped
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 3 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 3 cups vegetable stockhot
- ¾ cup passata
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cut the stalk caps off 12 small aubergines and use a vegetable corer to hollow each one, turning as you go, until the walls are about 5 mm thick. Keep the scooped flesh for a stew another day.
15 minStep 2: Soak the hollow aubergines in water with 1 tbsp salt for 10 minutes, then drain upside down.
10 minStep 3: Mix 9 oz Egyptian or other short-grain rice, 1 onion, 3 ripe tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 oz dill, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley, 3 ½ tbsp sunflower oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp ground allspice.
5 minStep 4: Fill each aubergine three-quarters full, pressing lightly with a finger. Leave a 1.5 cm gap at the top for the rice to swell.
10 minStep 5: Stand the aubergines upright, packed tightly, in a pot. Mix 3 cups vegetable stock with ¾ cup passata and pour it over until it comes three-quarters up the aubergines.
5 minStep 6: Cover with a small plate, bring to the boil and simmer gently over a low heat until the aubergines are dark and soft and a grain of rice from the centre is fully tender.
50 minStep 7: Uncover and simmer 5 minutes more to reduce the sauce, then rest 10 minutes before serving with the sauce spooned over.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mahshi betingan (stuffed baby aubergines) take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of egyptian or other short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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