Sheikh El Mahshi (Stuffed Eggplant)

Sheikh El Mahshi, literally meaning king of mahshi, is made with spiced minced meat stuffed into roasted eggplants then oven-baked in a rich tomato sauce. This stuffed eggplant is rich in flavor, packed with nutrients, and also super easy to make.

A lot of people think this is a difficult recipe (maybe because of the name?) but it's actually quite easy. And if you like mahshi, check out this kousa mahshi recipe!

What I Love About This Recipe

This stuffed roasted eggplant in tomato sauce is gorgeous! This is one of those dishes that looks glorious coming out of the oven with layers of red tomato rings on top of a bed of cooked eggplants. I also love that it is really easy to put together. You just need to bring a few layers together and the result? A large casserole big enough to feed the entire family.

Ingredient Notes

• Eggplants: Eggplants are the main ingredient for Sheikh El Mahshi. Use small eggplants like Japanese eggplant or Fairy Tale eggplant.
• Tomato: Use medium ripe tomatoes rather than fully ripe ones as the former taste better when roasted.
• Tomato paste: Any type of tomato paste works for this recipe.
• Minced meat: Use ground beef, ground lamb, or a mix of lamb and beef.
• Onion: Use brown onion, sweet onion, or white onion.
• Pine nuts: These are optional but are a great addition to the stuffing if you have them on hand.
• Spices: For the stuffing we use a mix of allspice, Lebanese seven spices, some ground cinnamon and salt. Use store-bought seven spices or a homemade seven spice blend.
• Butter: My grandma cooks the stuffing with a bit of butter. You can choose to do without it or substitute it with oil.
• Pomegranate molasses: I like to drizzle a little in the stuffing. I promise it adds a magical touch.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

How To Make Sheikh El Mahshi

Start by placing the eggplants in an ovenproof dish and baking them in the oven for around 10 minutes at 375 ℉ (190 ℃) (just so that they get a bit of color and are half roasted).

Prepare the minced meat stuffing on the stove. Melt the butter, add the meat in and start breaking it up using a wooden spoon. Add in the onion, spices, pine nuts, and pomegranate molasses (if using). Set aside.

Create a cut down the center of each eggplant, spread it out a bit to make space for the stuffing. Place a large spoon of the meat stuffing in each eggplant.

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Once all the eggplants are stuffed, start topping them with tomato slices until they're all covered.

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Then mix the tomato paste with water and pour over the casserole until all the eggplants are covered with liquid.

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Put the dish in the oven and bake 350 ℉ (180 ℃) for around an hour until the tomato sauce thickens a bit and the tomato slices are fully roasted.

Tips and Tricks

• Roast the eggplants in the oven before stuffing them with minced meat. I learned this trick from my grandma and it helps to ensure you get the most perfectly cooked final result.
• Pick small sized eggplants. Large eggplants need more time to roast, and the eggplant to minced meat ratio will be off. Small sized eggplants are about 2" in diameter and 8" in length.
• Don't overstuff the eggplants because the stuffing will end up falling into the sauce.

Variations and Substitutions

• Vegan sheikh el mahshi: In this version, you can substitute the meat stuffing with a quinoa/rice and vegetable stuffing. Vegetables you can use include carrots, peas, mushrooms and broccoli.
• Sheikh boats: I once made this recipe (and named it) when I couldn't find small sized eggplants. I simply cut a large eggplant in half, cored it a bit, stuffed each side with meat, topped my boats with tomatoes and popped the dish in the oven!

Equipment

• Ovenproof baking dish: 9" x 13" glass, metal, or ceramic baking dish.
• Pan: Nonstick large frying pan.
• Good quality knife: To make the perfect stuffing pockets.
• Round soup spoon: To stuff the eggplants.

Storage

Stuffed eggplants should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They last for up to 4 days. This recipe does not freeze well.

FAQs

Middle Eastern Desserts

Lebanese Recipes By Mariam

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