Sheikh el Mahshi

Storing and Planning Ahead

Refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat covered at 180°C / 356°F for 20 minutes. It freezes for 2 months.

Sheikh el Mahshi: The Method

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1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Halve the aubergines lengthways, score the cut faces in a diamond, rub with 4 tbsp oil and the salt, and roast cut-side down 25 minutes until slumped and browned.

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2. While the aubergines roast, toast the pine nuts in 3 tbsp oil until gold and lift them out, then fry the onions 8 minutes, add the lamb and cook 12 minutes until browned and dry.

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3. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon and salt, then return the pine nuts.

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4. Turn the aubergines cut-side up and press the middle of each down with a spoon to make a hollow, without tearing the skin.

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5. Whisk the tomatoes, purée, molasses, water and salt and pour into a baking dish. Sit the aubergines in it.

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6. Heap the filling into the hollows, pressing it down gently.

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7. Lower the oven to 190°C / 375°F and bake 25 minutes, spooning sauce over twice, until the sauce has thickened around them. Rest 10 minutes.

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A Few Pointers

• Roast the aubergines first. Stuffing them raw gives you a watery dish.
• Cook the mince until the pan is dry.
• Rest before serving — it firms up and cuts cleanly.

Serving Ideas

Plain rice · Yogurt · Flatbread

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Lebanese Garlic Potatoes, Lebanese Cabbage Salad.

Sheikh el Mahshi Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.