Sheikh Al-Mahshi Vegetarian (Filled Aubergines)
Vegetarian version of a traditional Lebanese dish
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines
- 1 tbsp olive oil
The filling
- ½ cup green lentils can substitute brown lentils
- ½ onion
- ½ red pepper
- 2 mild green chillis seeded and diced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts/flaked almonds save half to garnish
Tomato sauce
- 2 tins pulped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
Garnish
- flat leaf parsley
Instructions
Prepare the aubergines
- Wash the aubergines, cut as close to the stem as possible to remove (discard the stems) and partially peel, leaving lengthways strips of alternating peel and flesh
- On medium to low heat, drizzle a bit of oil in a deep pan and cook/brown aubergine for 2-5 minutes on each side to soften the aubergine. Alternatively this can be done on a low barbecue. Treat as if it has 4 sides, turning every 5 mins. Allow to cool before filling.
Filling
- Wash the lentils and boil the lentils until mostly cooked (green lentils 20 mins, brown lentils 15 mins). They will be cooked more later.
- Heat a large pan to a medium to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook onions until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add green chillis and red peppers and cook for 1 minute.
- Add lentils and all the spices (paprika, all spice, salt, black pepper and ground coriander), and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes to let the flavours mix. Add half the toasted pine nuts or almonds and mix well.
- Once the aubergines have cooled, place on deep baking oven dish. Slit lengthwise to form a pocket in each half of the aubergine, gently press several spoonfuls of the filling into the slits.
Tomato sauce
- Mix tomato paste, crushed tomato and water, ½ teaspoon of salt, then pour over aubergine.
Baking
- Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheat oven at 200ºC for 40 minutes.
- Turn oven heat off, remove tin foil and leave in closed oven for 10 minutes.
- To serve, garnish with remaining pine nuts and parsley next to a bed of orzo pasta.
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