Need some inspiration for your next iftar at home? Whip up this dish from chefs at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi to impress your guests.
Sheikh El Mahshi
(lamb stuffed in aubergine casserole)
Ingredients
10 small aubergine, cylindrical
1 cup ghee (or butter or oil)
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cup minced lamb or beef
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/4 tsp salt (and extra to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (and extra to taste)
1 1/2 cup fresh tomato juice or tomato paste
1 cup water
Method
preheat oven to 180C. Clean the aubergine and trim the stems. Do not remove hulls. Partially peel the aubergine, leaving lengthways strips of alternating peel and flesh. Heat ghee and fry the aubergine until soft. Drain into a shallow baking pan or Pyrex baking dish. Fry chopped onions in ghee until yellow. Add meat, pine nuts, salt and pepper until meat is well done. While in the baking dish, slit each aubergine lengthwise to form a pocket. Gently press spoonfuls of stuffing into the slits. Cover with tomato juice or paste and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on the stove for 15 minutes. Then bake for 15 minutes in the oven to brown the tops. Serve hot with vermicelli rice.
Recipe provided by Sudhanshu Nirmal, executive sous chef at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi. The hotel hosts a nightly iftar in their air-conditioned Layali El Hilmiya tent from sunset to 8.30pm. Dh150; suhoor to follow until 3am. 02 674 2020
sjohnson@thenational.ae
